^LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



UNITED STATES OP AMERICA, f 



[THIRD THOUSAND.] 

THE PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS 

OP 

CHRISTIANITY 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; 



WITH REMARKS ON THE SUBJECT OE SLAVERY IN AMERICA ; AND ON THE 
INTERCOURSE BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN CHURCHES, 



V 



R;'BAIRD, D. D. 

Author of " Religion in America,'' &c. &c, and Secretary to the " American 
and Foreign. Christian Union." 



LONDON t 

PARTRIDGE AND OAKEY, PATERNOSTER ROW, 

R. THEOBALD, PATERNOSTER ROW. 

EDINBURGH- JOHNSON AND HUNTER; DUBLIN-P. DIXON, 

HARDY, AND SONS. 



nS 



**V^v 



JAMES BLACK, PRINTER, POWIS STREET, WOOLWICH. 



INTRODUCTION, 



The greater portion of this pamphlet, as the reader will find, 
consists of a Report, of a statistical character in many respects, 
on the state of Christianity in America. This Report was 
read before the British Evangelical Alliance, Saturday, 
August 30th. At the suggestion and request of several 
English, American, and Continental friends, it is published 
in this form, both for the purpose of giving it entire to the 
public, and also to have it printed, at least the statistical part, 
before the author leaves London, in order to secure as great 
a degree of accuracy as possible in a document where there 
are so many figures, and so much depending on them. 

In the year 1844, the author prepared, at the request of 
many friends in Europe, a work entitled: Religion in 
America, which was published in a large octavo volume, 
illustrated by maps, by the Messrs. Blackie and Sons, of 
Glasgow. This work has been translated into French, Ger- 
man, Dutch, and Swedish. It will appear in modern Greek 
and Armenian. The author takes the liberty of recom- 
mending that work to such as desire to obtain a full account 
of the Religious History and Economy of the United States, 



IV. 

to which this report is in a sense supplemental. In that 
work a full notice is taken of the colonization of the 
country, of the Colonial era, of the changes made by the 
Revolution and Independence of the country, of the progress 
of religion up to 1843, of the history of every Evangelical 
branch of the church, and also of the Non-Evangelical, the 
modes of supporting public worship, revivals of religion, 
missions, etc., etc. The author flatters himself that those 
who will take the trouble to read that book in connexion with 
the present Report, will find much to interest them in a 
country which ought to be known and respected by Britons, 
for it is one of their own planting, and with whose interests 
and destiny those of England must ever be closely inter- 
twined. 

In the latter part of this pamphlet the reader will find some 
f< Remarks " and a " Supplement," in which the author has 
ventured to remonstrate against the course of vituperation 
and exclusion which some in this country have been pursuing 
in regard to the people of the United States, on account of 
Slavery, and to express his deep conviction that great evil 
and danger will result if this course be continued. 

London, September 6th, 1851. 



REPOKT. 



THE EARLY COLONIZATION OF THE COUNTRY. 
1. The South. 

A part of the Atlantic coast of the continent of North America was 
discovered by the Cabots, John and Sebastian, father and son, (the for- 
mer a native of Venice, the latter of England,) who reached it on the 
24th of June, 1497. By this event a very large and important part of 
the coast of that continent was secured to a country which, within less 
than half a century, was to begin to throw off the chains of Rome, 
and to become, in due time, the most powerful of all protestant king- 
doms. It was in this manner that He who " hath made of one blood 
all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath 
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habita- 
tion," had resolved to prepare a place to which, in ages then drawing 
near, those who should be persecuted for Christ's sake might flee and 
find protection, and thus to form a great protestant nation. And yet 
how near, if we may so speak, was this great plan to being defeated ! 
Had De Soto, when he sailed from Cuba, a year or two earlier, 
turned his prow to the east of the peninsula of Florida, instead of the 
west, he would have discovered the Atlantic coast of what is now 
the United States, and that great country might have had a Spanish in- 
stead of an Anglo-Saxon, — a Roman Catholic instead of a Protestant, 
— population. It is said that a very trifling circumstance decided him ! 
But all was ordered by that Being who knows how to make the most 
^significant as well as the greatest occurrences subserve His glorious 
purposes. 

The first successful attempt made by the English to plant colonies 
within the limits of what is now called The United States of North 
America, was made at Jamestown, on the James River, in the present 
State of Virginia, on the 13th day of May, in the year 1607. This 
colony was composed of friends of the Stuarts, the then reigning dyn- 
asty of England ; and, as to religious faith and ecclesiastical order, it 
was Protestant and Episcopal. The Church that was planted in it, and 
for a long time the only one tolerated, was an offshoot of the Estab- 
lished Church of England, and for one hundred and sixty-eight years 
was under the jurisdiction of the Bishops of London. In fact tins state 
of things lasted a hundred and seventy- eight years, or from 1607 till 
1785, ten years after the declaration of independence, when the Epis- 
copal church in America for the first time had bishops of its own, 

B 



The Colony of Virginia became in a sense, the mother colony of all 
the southern portion of the country ; for Maryland which was at the 
beginning, and for a few years, a Roman Catholic colony, soon fell very 
much under its influence, and episcopacy became there the dominant, 
though not to an equal degree the exclusive protestant form of ecclesi- 
astical doctrine and polity. In process of time the colonies of North and 
South Carolina were formed ; in which also episcopacy and a population 
similar in character to that of Virginia, became prevalent. And finally, 
the colony of Georgia was planted, which formed the fifth and last of 
the original Southern colonies, about one hundred and fifteen years after 
the planting of Virginia. Although Georgia least of all possessed in 
earliest years, a southern character, and never was to the same extent 
under episcopal influence, yet it received a southern type in the lapse of 
time from the operation of the same causes, one of w T hich was the im- 
migration of planters from the other and older southern colonies. 

Such was the original colonization of the southern portion of the 
United States. Let us now speak of 

% The Noeth. 

In the year 1620, a part of the Rev. W. Robinson's church emi- 
grated from Holland, and foimded New Plymouth, in Massachusetts, — 
so called from Plymouth, in England, where they stopped awhile on 
their way to the new world,-— which was the first colony planted in 
New England, the north eastern portion of the United States. This 
colony w T as composed of those who have been, by emphasis, called the 
Pilgeims. They were independents in religious polity. 

Eight years later a larger colony was planted on the opposite side of 
the Massachusetts Bay; and two years later still a far larger one at the 
head of that bay, both of which were composed of Puritans, — of peo- 
ple who were members of the established church whilst in England, but 
became Independents, or as they are called in America, Congregation- 
alists, almost as soon as they arrived in the new world. 

As Virginia became the mother colony hi the south, so did Massa- 
chusetts in the north. Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, 
Vermont, and Maine, were all in a great degree colonized from her ; 
the two latter were not provided with separate governments whilst the 
colonies were under the government of England. There were thus four 
original colonies in the north, and five in the south. Widely different 
were these two families of colonies. Protestant both, but whilst the 
one was chiefly planted by colonists who sympathized with the " Cava- 
liers," and the established church and monarchy of England, the other 
consisted of staunch Independents of the political school of the "Round- 
heads," were far more jealous of the prerogatives of the British Crown, 
and sympathized with the " Commonwealth" in its day. It would be 
difficult to conceive of Protestant colonies, speaking the same language, 
from the same country, and that a very small one, that could differ more 
in character, manner, and opinions on the subjects of religion and the 
nature and extent of obedience due to the mother country. 



3. The Middle District. 

Between these northern and southern groups of colonies lay a broad 
and important portion of the coast, which is now covered by the States 
of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Holland 
claimed the whole of this great section of the country, and had planted 
an insignificant colony, or rather trading-port at the mouth of the Hud- 
son river, where now stands the city of New York, before the "Pilgrim 
Fathers," reached New Plymouth. Some thirty years later a Swedish 
colony, — winch had been projected by the great and good Gustavus 
Adolphus, — was planted on the banks of the Delaware, in the southern 
portion of that middle territory, But England, in the commencement 
of the reign of Charles II., took possession of the portion of the country 
which Holland had held, and obtained by treaty and cession that which 
Sweden had colonized, and so completed her possession of the entire 
coast. Out of tins increase of territory grew up the four additional co- 
lonies of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Thus 
making up the whole Thirteen, which was the number when the me- 
morable struggle of the revolution commenced, that was destined to 
create an hidependent nation, under a federative and republican form of 
government. Of the four middle colonies episcopacy prevailed in New 
York, and partially "favoured," at least for a time, in New Jersey and 
Delaware, but was never, properly speaking, established by law in either 
of them, or in the colony of Pennsylvania, of which William Penn was 
the founder. 

It will be seen from tins brief statement, that the northern and 
southern colonies were of English origin, — the former exclusively so, and 
the latter had at the outset but few settlers that were not from England, 
and these few (mostly Irish Roman Catholics), were in Maryland. The 
first colonies in the middle section of the coast were Dutch and Swedes. 
But English, Scotch, Irish, and Welsh, emigrants entered this part of 
the country soon after it had been taken possesion of by England, and 
established themselves at many different points. 

The original colonization of the United States was, in its lowest or 
primary stratum, from the British isles, with the exception of a few 
thousand Dutch and Swedes. The Swedish element has disappeared, 
being absorbed in the Anglo-Saxon race. The Dutch, although far great- 
er, may also be said to have been absorbed, for it is scarcely to be found 
any where save in the Dutch names which many families in New York 
and New Jersey and elsewhere still wear. 

Over this substratum there spread immigrations of greater or less 
extent from several countries on the continent of Europe. First of all 
there were the Huguenots, who came from France about the epoch of the 
revocation of the edict of Nantes, which occurred in the year 1685. 
These excellent people settled in Boston and one or two other places in 
Massachusetts ; hi New York ; in Virginia and the Carolinas. To this day 
several streets and many families — some of them greatly distinguished — 
in Charleston in South Carolina bear the names of those who hi France, 
suffered the " loss of all things for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus." 



8 

Shortly afterwards, or rather about the same time, German protes- 
tants began to emigrate to America, first from the Palatinate, — whence 
they were driven by the myrmidons of Louis XIV, who ruthlessly laid 
waste their country, — and then from other parts of the glorious land of 
Luther. The stream of emigration from Germany to America, with 
some intermissions, has continued to flow ever since, and is now become 
as it were, a mighty river. 

In the earlier part of the seventeenth century there came a company of 
some two hundred protestant Poles, under a Count SobiesM, and settled 
in New Jersey and New York, and about the same time six hundred 
Waldenses, who settled in New York. There were also emigrants from 
the descendants of those Bohemian and Moravian christians, who re- 
ceived the gospel at first from Constantinople, and for long ages endured 
persecution from the hands of Rome. 

From ten different countries of Europe did the men come, who either 
planted or enlarged the colonies in the United States, before the revolu- 
tion. From most of them, persecution for righteousness' sake was the 
primary cause of expatriation. For this reason, and for the pious and 
excellent character of very many of them, the celebrated Cotton Mather, 
one of the most widely known of the earlier writers of New England, 
said, that God seemed to have sifted the nations of the Old World, in 
order to bring the best of his wheat to the New. Although there was 
a great difference among the colonies which came from the British Isles, 
as to religious character, — the northern far surpassing the southern, as 
will be readily comprehended by all who are acquainted with the religious 
history of the two great parties in England from whose ranks they 
came, — yet it is true that there were many excellent men in all. What 
is very remarkable : the charters of several of the Southern as well 
as the Northern colonies contained clauses in relation to the christianizing 
the " Salvages," (as the Indian aborigines were called), as being an im- 
portant expectation and object of the enterprize. There were some 
excellent christians among the Dutch colonists; probably a greater 
number relatively among the : Swedes, the Poles, the Waldenses, the 
Moravians, and the Bohemians. There was a great deal of piety amongst 
the first German immigrants. But there were no emigrants from the con- 
tinent to America who could compare with the simple-hearted and pious 
Huguenots, or protestant exiles from France — driven from that beautiful 
country by the dragoons of Louis XIV, and the priestly cohorts of the 
pretended successor of the fisherman and vicar of Christ. With the ex- 
ception of the German, all these colonies were completely absorbed in the 
English, and almost every trace of their languages obliterated before the 
American Revolution. 

Such was the original and such the secondary colonization of the 
country now called the United States, extending over a period of one 
hundred and sixty-eight years, from 1607 to 1775. This was the co- 
lonial era of the country. 

During this long and important period, the infancy and early youth 
of the nation, the history of the Churches in America contains many a 
bright page, — setting forth the visitations of the Spirit, which purified and 
revived them and augmented the number of believers ; but many a dark 



9 

one also, in which those periods are treated when religion sadly declined. 
Alas there were several such, — the causes of which may be stated in 
few words. 

1. The very removal of the colonists to a new and comparatively 
unknown world, three thousand miles distant from the civilization and 
other advantages of Europe, and their settlement in a land which was 
literally a wilderness, and possesshig a climate which was eminently fatal 
to the first comers, and indeed to all until they had undergone a process 
of acclimation. The anxieties, the fatigues, the sufferings, the sick- 
ness, and some times the pressing want, — amounting almost to starva- 
tion, in some cases, — were decidedly unfavourable to religious pros- 
perity. 

2. It was not many years till nearly all of these colonies had to 
endure severe and dreadful conflicts with the aborigines. I do not stop 
to inquire who were to blame for this. In many cases the fault may be 
laid at the door of the colonists themselves, for, however excellent was 
the character of many of them, it could not be expected that there 
would be no bad or imprudent men among them. On the other hand, 
it is certain that the savage tribes were often the aggressors, — sometimes 
it is believed, at the instigation of white men, of whom I shall present- 
ly speak. 

3. They were repeatedly agitated by wars with their French and 
Spanish neighbours, especially the former, who during the greater part 
of this period possessed the Canadas and the entire valley of the Mis- 
sissippi. These wars were the more dreadful, because of the Indian 
auxiliaries whom the French had in great number, through the supe- 
rior influence and tact of the French Jesuits, who had missions among 
many of the more powerful tribes. Even the foreign wars of the 
mother country, and in a portion of the period, the three revolutions 
which that country underwent, agitated the colonies, and hindered the 
progress of religion. 

4. The introduction of slavery greatly hindered, and in many ways, 
the progress of religion, especially in the southern colonies, whose cli- 
mate was more favourable to the health of people from Africa, and 
whose productions were such as to render their labour, more profitable 
than those of the north. In consequence of this, the number of slaves 
in the southern colonies soon became incomparably greater than in the 
northern. But slavery was injurious, to a greater or less degree, in all 
the colonies, — for it existed at the declaration of Independence in all 
of them, — and in divers ways impeded the triumphs of the gospel. 

5. The union of the church with the State was also a hindrance. 
This was more manifestly the case in the north than in the south. In 
both it was at first intolerant, and even exclusive. It engendered bitter 
feuds among the people, and occasioned innumerable embarrassments 
to the governments. It laid the foundation in the north, for some of 
the most dangerous heresies, — such as Socinianism and Universalism — 
which, however, did not receive their full development till a then future 
day. The union of the church and state in Massachusetts was of the 
most extraordinary character, with winch nothing can be compared but 
that of the Hebrew Commonwealth. It was a fusion of the two powers 



10 

or institutions, the ecclesiastical and the political, rather than a uinon. In 
one form or another, and in a greater or less degree, the church was 
connected with the state in ten out of the thirteen colonies, dining the 
whole, or the latter part, of the period under review. 

6. And lastly, the difficulty in getting good ministers of the gospel, 
was a great hindrance. In the northern colonies this was not much 
felt; for their wise founders set about the creation of institutions, which 
would raise up pastors for their churches, as well as capable adminis- 
trators of the government. Public schools were established almost im- 
mediately, and Harvard College, now a University, — not only the old- 
est but the best endowed in the United States, — was founded only 
eighteen years after the landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock. 
But the episcopal churches in the south, and indeed in all parts, had to 
obtain their pastors from England; or if they trained up young men of 
their own, they had to send them over to the Bishop of London, to re- 
ceive ordination ! This continued till after the revolution. Some of 
the men whom the Bishops of London sent over, were unquestionably 
excellent men, — but many were far otherwise. One of these bishops, 
(I forget which) writing to a friend in America, complained that he had 
great difficulty in getting any at all, and that most of those whom he 
did find were unfit to be sent ! 

And yet notwithstanding all these difficulties, the truth did maintain 
a noble stand in America during the colonial era. God raised up such 
men as the Mathers, Edwards, Davies, Finley, the Tennents, and others, 
whose labours were greatly blessed. And the angel- visits of Wesley 
and Whitfield, did much in the way of co-operation. 

The Second Pekiod. 

The second period of the history of the churches in America extends 
from 1775 to 1815. This was a very important era, but it was one of 
great perturbations. There was first the war of the independence, which 
lasted from 1775 to 1783, a period of eight years. As the struggle 
extended from one end of the country to the other, and from the sea 
to the Alleghany Mountains, the entire nation which numbered about 
3,500,000 souls, was agitated, and that almost continually, to its inmost 
recesses. Under these circumstances it was not to be expected that re- 
ligion should flourish. Next succeeded a long period of agitation, from 
various sources, — the unsettled state of the country; the want of a 
central government; the efforts to form a constitution and to organize 
a general government ; the difficulties which beset the path of that go- 
vernment ; the collision with England and France, and a brief war with 
the latter ; continued difficulties with several countries of Europe, and 
a war of three years, from 1812 to 1815, with Great Britain. During 
tliis period several severe wars occurred with the Aborigines. Take it as 
a whole, it was a period, extending through forty years, that was not 
favourable to a very extensive progress of the gospel, and yet it was 
within that period, namely about the year 1800, that those gracious ef- 
fusions of the Holy Spirit recommenced, which have so greatly blessed 
that country. In the early part of this era, the union of the church and 
the state came to an end in the southern States and in New York. 



11 

It was during this period that the vast territory of Louisiana was pur- 
chased from France, out of which have been formed the States of 
Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa, and leaving still the extensive 
Territory of Nebraska, the large reservation for the Indians, and what 
is now called Oregon, — containing in all more than a million and a 
quarter of square miles. By this purchase the extent of the United States 
was more than doubled. 

Even before the Kevolution emigration commenced from the settle- 
ments east of the Alleghany Mountains to the country westward of that 
range, which is now called the great central valley of the Missis- 
sippi, or that vast country lying between the Alleghany Mountains on 
the East and the Rocky Mountains on the West, the Lakes that se- 
parate the United States from the British Possessions on the North and 
the Gulph of Mexico on the South, embracing more than a million 
and a quarter of square miles. The part of this vast country which 
lies east of the Mississippi had been ceded by France to England in 
1763. There were a few thousands of Anglo-American people settled 
along at the western base or rather in the western skirts, as it were of the 
Alleghany range as early as the year 1765, in the States of Pennsylvania, 
Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. There were probably not more than 
100,000 inhabitants of English origin there when the war of the Revo- 
lution began. During the period winch we are now noticing, this emigra- 
tion increased rapidly, especially during the latter part of it, and before 
the year 1815, the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, as well as 
Louisiana, (whose population was chiefly French,) were admitted into 
the Union, and two or three territorial governments organized. 

This great region was claimed and held by France for more than a 
century, by right of discovery. This claim she maintained against 
the charters which the kings of England had granted to the earlier colo- 
nies planted by the people of that country. Some of those charters 
were remarkable documents in several senses, one of these was the great 
ignorance which they display in relation to the country which they un- 
dertook to parcel out. Several of them over-ran each other. Some of 
them conveyed to the patentees territories that stretch from the Atlan- 
tic to the " South Sea," as the Pacific is called. 

France had discovered the country about the mouth of the St. Law- 
rence ; and commenced the planting of colonies in what is now called 
Canada about the time when England began to colonize the coast. 
Quebec was founded the year after the planting of the colony of James- 
town hi Virginia. From Canada, Le Salle, Hennessin, and others ex- 
plored the Valley of the Mississippi, and thus secured that vast country 
for France, although De Soto, the Spaniard, had long before visited the 
southern part of it. 

The Third Period. 

The third and last period extends from 1815 to 1851, and has a 
length of thirty-six years. This has been in many respects the most 
prosperous era in our history. It has been especially so in regard to 
religion. Within this period the last ligament which united the Church 
and State was sundered ; in Connecticut, in 1816, and Massachusetts 



12 

in 1833. With the exception of two or three commercial crises, one 
or two of which were very severe, the country has enjoyed great tem- 
poral, or material prosperity. There were no wars that greatly 
troubled the country. There were a few Indian wars of no great im- 
portance; a war of a few months with one of the Barhary powers, and 
one with Mexico of some two years' duration. The last named war, 
although it produced some excitement, cannot he said to have agitated 
the country very greatly, because the scene of it was remote. It was 
greatly deplored by many of our best people. 

During this period the area and population of the country have greatly 
increased. In the year 1819 Florida was purchased from Spain. This 
gave 57,750- square miles to the territory of the United States. By 
the annexation of Texas, that territory received a further enlargement of 
325,500 square miles. And finally in 1848, Mexico ceded to the United 
States, for the sum of 12,000,000 dollars, and other considerations 
(making the entire sum equivalent to 15,000,000 dollars), the provinces 
of New Mexico and Upper California, containing 526,075 square miles. 
By this accession of territory, the area of the United States, was 
made to reach the extent of about three millions and a quarter of square 
miles ; of which not one half is in the occupancy of civilized men, and 
no part of it is densely settled. The population, which was 3,929,327 
in 1790; 5,305,925 in 1800 ; 7,239,814 in 1810; 9,638,131 in 1820; 
12,866,920 in 1830 ; 17,100,572 in 1840; had reached 23,225,000 
in 1850. At the end of each of the six decades which have passed 
since 1790 (and there was no census of the whole country taken before 
that epoch) the increase of the population has been ascertained. In the 
first, that increase was 1,376,598 ; in the second, 1,933,829 ; in the 
third, 2,398,317; in the fourth, 3,228,789; in the fifth, 4,233,652; 
and in the sixth, 6,124,428. Even at the ratio of the last decade, the 
increase of the next— from 1850 to 1860— will be 8,346,872 ; and 
that of the decade from 1860 to 1870, will be 11,341,700. This cal- 
culation gives us some idea of the rapid growth of the population of the 
country, and of the greatness of the Church's responsibility, and of the 
work to be done. At the ratio above stated, the population will be 
50,712,999 in the year 1875, and far more than 100,000,000 in the 
year 1900. 

The period under notice, from 1815 to 1851, was one of great spi- 
ritual as well as material progress. During that time, the increase of 
our chinches and of the means of religious instruction was wonderful. 
There were many instances of the outpouring of the Spirit in all parts 
of the country. It . was the era of the formation, or of the principal 
growth of our societies for spreading the gospel at home and abroad, for 
increasing the staff of the ministry, for the promotion of temperance, 
for the reforming of the criminal, — in a word, of great progress in all 
that concerns the moral and religious, as well as material, interests of 
the nation. 

The immigration from foreign lands increased within this period, from 
some twelve or fifteen thousand per annum, up to 315,000. During 
the present year, it is expected that it will far exceed 400,000 — pro- 
bably come, but little, if at all, short of half a million ! And whilst, 



13 

on the one hand, the immigration from the Old World has been steadily 
and rapidly advancing, on the other, the tide of our population has been 
rolling in immense volume into the Valley of the Mississippi, and is even 
now spreading along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Since 1815 no 
less than nine States have been formed in that great central region ; 
namely, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas, 
Iowa, Mississippi, and Alabama ; besides Florida, bordering on the At- 
lantic and the Gulf of Mexico ; Texas, which borders on the same gulf; 
and California, which borders on the Pacific. Before many years pass 
away, several new States will be organized out of the territories of 
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, and Oregon.* 

The entire population of the States and Territories west of the Alleghany 
mountains now exceeds ten and a half millions; in 1775 it did not ex- 
ceed 100,000 ; and was not half a million in the year 1800. These 
figures show the wonderful increase of the population of the United 
States, and the rapidity with which it is expanding itself over the im- 
mense central and western regions. 

In proof of the material prosperity of the country, it may be stated, 
that the tonnage employed in the foreign and coasting commerce of the 
country (including the fishing and whaling vessels) was in June, 1850, 
3,681,469. That of the lakes was 167,137 tons. The exports were 
136,946,912 dollars, and the imports 173,308,010 dollars. The num- 
ber of steam vessels of all descriptions was estimated, at the commence- 
ment of this present year, to be 2,000, and their tonnage 500,000 ; and 
it is calculated that on the 1st of January, 1852, the aggregate length 
of railroads will be 10,618 miles, built at a cost of about 350,000,000 
dollars. -j* These facts may be taken as indices of the advance of the 
United States in what concerns its material interests. 

In connexion with this topic, we may state that the cause of educa- 
tion has made great progress, particularly within the last forty or fifty 
years. Public school systems have been established by law, securing the 
advantages of education for all classes, in at least twelve of the States 
in the northern and north-western portion of the country, and the subject 
is waking up much interest in almost all the others. There are now one 
hundred and twenty colleges and universities, most of which are in the 
hands and under the direction of religious men, and a solid instruction 
is imparted in the principles of a Protestant Christianity. There are thir- 

*When the word "territory" in this Report, commences with a capital 
letter, it then signifies a denned district, that is not yet a State, but is in 
process of becoming one. This will take place when the population becomes 
sufficient, and a constitution formed by the people through their represen- 
tatives chosen for the purpose, and approved by the President and Congress. 
Until this is done, the government of the "Territory" is carried on by a 
Governor, Judges, and other officers appointed by the President of the 
United States, with the consent of the Senate. 

f The English reader can in a moment convert into pounds sterling, any 
of the sums stated in this document in dollars, by dividing them by the 
number five. This will at all events give the value in English money with, 
sufficient accuracy for ordinary purposes. Strictly speaking, five dollars are 
seven pence more than a pound sterling, or sovereign. 

G 



14 

teen Roman Catholic colleges, and two or three may be said not to have 
any decided religions character, although I know of none that have an 
infidel character. In the year 1801 there were but twenty -five colleges 
in the country. There are thirty-seven medical schools and twelve law 
schools. Many of the colleges are new and very imperfectly endowed ; 
but many of the old ones may be said to be well established and sup- 
plied with efficient teachers. In founding these institutions, the State 
Governments have usually given more or less aid ; but their greatest 
assistance, in the way of endowments, has come from the benevolence 
of individuals. 

We come now to the consideration of the progress and present state 
of religion in the United States, so far as it can be ascertained and deter- 
mined by statistical inquiry. On tins subject it is very difficult to obtain 
all the data which are desirable, but I think I shall be able to reach a 
reasonable approximation to the truth. 

I. The Protestant Episcopal Church. 

The oldest branch of the Protestant Church in the United States is 
the Protestant Episcopal. Its history commences with the planting of 
the colony of Virginia, in the year 1607. For a very long period this 
church laboured under many disadvantages. One of these has been al- 
luded to — the difficulty of obtaining ministers from England, where all 
had to be ordained. Another and very serious difficulty arose from 
the disputes which occurred in relation to the manner of their support, 
And, to complete the catalogue of hindrances, at the commencement 
of the Revolution, a large number of the ministers of this body, being 
Englishmen, felt constrained, by their views of duty, to return to the 
mother country. It was not till years after the Revolution, that the 
real prosperity of this Church commenced. From the most authentic 
accounts which I have been able to find, I think that there were in the 
year 1800, 320 churches, 16,000 communicants, 260 ministers, with 
7 bishops. In 1819 there were 17 bishops, about 500 churches, and 
25,000 members. In 1850, there were 28 bishops, 3 missionary 
bishops, 1,504 ministers, 1,550 churches, and about 73,000 members. 
During the first half of this century, the Episcopal Chinch in the United 
States has, therefore, more than quintupled its clergy and churches, and 
nearly quintupled its members. The population of the United States 
has increased during the same period something less than fourfold and a 
half, it being relatively, at the epochs of 1850 and 1800, as 439 6-10ths 
to 100. 

II. The Congregational Churches. 

The Congregational branch of the one true Church of Christ may be 
taken next ; for though the Reformed Dutch Church may have had some 
preachers on the ground before 1620, it is not certain that there were 
any churches of this body before 1624. The increase of this body has 
been steady, almost from the first. I have no means of knowing what 
were its statistics in the year 1800. But, in the year 1850, there were 
1,971 churches, of which nearly 1,400 were in the six New England 
States, and the rest in the other States, chiefly Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, 



15 

Wisconsin, and Iowa. The number of ministers was 1,687, anil of the 
communicants, or members, 197,196. In this statement no churches 
are included but those which are now called Congregational in America. 
The Congregational body of churches has not increased as fast as the 
other great communions, and for the simple reason that it was for nearly 
two hundred years confined to the six New England States. The emi- 
grants from those states who had been brought up in the principles of 
the Congregational system, usually joined the Presbyterian Churches in 
the middle, southern, and western states. This practice still continues, 
although not so much as formerly. Within the last fifteen or twenty 
years a large number of Congregational churches has been formed in 
the States of New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa, 
and a few in others, — composed for the most part of people from New 
England. Had the emigrants from New England and their children, 
dispersed over the other States and Territories, and who are believed 
to be almost if not quite as numerous as the actual inhabitants of the 
land of their origin, all cleaved to its ecclesiastical polity, and every 
where organized churches on that basis, the Congregational chinches in 
the United States would have been more than 3,000 in number, instead 
of 1,971, at tliis day. 

III. The Baptist Churches. 

The Baptist branch of the Church of Christ comes next in order of 
time. 

For a long period, the Baptist ministers encountered much opposition, 
owing to the intolerance which prevailed both north and south — an in- 
tolerance which was a vice of the age. They often suffered imprison- 
ment in Virginia, from the hands of the civil Government, and they 
were banished from Massachusetts, and compelled to found the colony 
of Rhode Island. At length, however, better views prevailed in both 
portions of the country. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, they never 
experienced opposition, so far as I know. In the year 1791, there were 
1,150 churches, 891 ministers, and 65,345 members. In 1850, what 
are called the "Regular," or "Associated" Baptist churches were be- 
lieved to be 10,441, the number of ordained ministers 6,049, and that 
of the members 754,652. If we add to these the Seventh-day Baptists 
(Sabbatarians), with their 60 churches, 46 ministers, and 7,000 mem- 
bers; the Free-will Baptists (who are Arminian in their theological 
views), 1,154 churches, 823 ordained ministers, 49,215 members; the 
Six Principle Baptists, and one or two other small branches, who have 
about 200 churches, 100 ministers, and 11,000 members; and the 
" Disciples of Christ," or " Reformers," as they call themselves — a large 
body embracing in 1850, about 1,600 churches, 1,000 ministers, and 
127,000 members — who have adopted the sentiments of the Rev. Dr. 
Alexander Campbell, which have been considered too speculative and cold, 
and not sufficiently operative to the renovation of the heart and life ;* 

* I am happy to say that from various quarters I have received informa- 
tion, that spiritual life is increasing in this branch of the Baptist body. 
This is indeed a cheering fact— one that, perhaps, should have been expected. 
Dr. Campbell thought he saw the truth exposed to danger from a certain 



16 

we shall have an aggregate of 13,455 churches, 8,018 ministers, and 
948,867 members. This is an immense increase since the year 1791 — 
sixty years ago. In the year 1750, one hundred years ago, there were 
only 58 Baptist churches in the whole of what is now the United States ; 
and in the year 1768, there were but 137. It appears that in sixty 
years the Baptist churches have increased tenfold, their ministers nine- 
fold, and their members more than thirteenfold ! 

IV. The Peesbyterian Churches. 

The next of the large Christian bodies which arose in the United 
States was the Presbyterian. The first ministers of that body were 
from Scotland and the North of Ireland, and were joined by ministers 
from New England, who came into the middle and southern States, 
where Presbyterianism first gained a foothold. In the year 1705 a pres- 
bytery, consisting of seven ministers, was formed : from this beginning 
the body has steadily grown, until it now ranks among the most nume- 
rous and powerful of the land. In the year 1800, it is believed, the 
number of ministers of w T hat is now called the Presbyterian Church, 
was about 300, churches 500, and communicants 40,000. This is, at 
all events, as exact as we can make the statement, and it cannot be far 
from the truth. The two great branches in which it now appears — for' 
a division took place in the year 1838 — stand thus : The Old School 
General Assembly has 23 synods, 134 presbyteries, 2,027 ministers, 
618 licentiates and students, 2,675 churches, 210,306 members. The 
New School Assembly has 21 synods, 104 presbyteries, 1,489 ministers, 
204 students (in theological schools only) and licentiates, 1,579 churches, 
and 140,060 communicants. Taken together, the two branches of the 
Presbyterian Church name 44 synods, 238 presbyteries, 3,516 ministers, 
822 licentiates and students, 4,254 churches, and 350,366 communi- 
cants. From this it appears that this body increased nearly twelvefold 
so far as the ministry is concerned, eight and a half fold as to the 
churches, and nearly ninefold as regards the members. But if we add 
the smaller branches, none of which amounted to much in the year 1800, 
and the largest of which did not exist at all, the increase of the Pres- 
byterian body becomes still more striking. They are as follows: 1. The 
Associate Presbyterian Church, which had, in 1850, 1 synod, 16 pres- 
byteries, 120 ministers, 214 churches, and 18,000 communicants. 2. 
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, with 4 synods, 20 pres- 
byteries, 219 ministers, 332 churches, and 26,340 members. 3. The 
Reformed Presbj^erian Church, with 2 synods, 7 presbyteries, about 80 
ordained ministers, 100 organized churches, and 12,000 communicants. 
These three bodies have at least 160 students and licentiates. 4. Re- 
formed Dutch Church, which is only Dutch in name at present, for the 
English is used in all their pulpits, and spoken by all their people. 
This body had, in 1784, only 82 churches, and 30 ministers. In 1850 
it had a general synod, 2 particular synods, 24 classes (or presbyteries), 
293 ministers, 292 churches, and 33,553 communicants. It had also 

quarter, and it was quite possible for him, in these circumstances, to go to 
the other extreme. But it was natural for a proper equilibrium, or some- 
thing like it, to be reached in due time. 



IT 

32 students in theology. 5. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 
This body arose in 1810, in the State of Kentucky. In polity it is 
Presbyterian, with the addition of the itinerating system of the Metho- 
dist Church. In doctrine it holds a sort of medium ground between 
Calvinism and Arminianism.* It has a General Assembly, 12 synods, 
45 presbyteries, 350 ministers, 480 chinches, and more than 50,000 
members. This body is most numerous in the south-western and 
western States. It has but few churches eastward of the Alleghany 
Mountains. 

From tins it appears the Presbyterian family of churches, speaking 
the English language and haying a British origin, except the Dutch Re- 
formed, consists of 4 general assemblies, 65 synods, 360 presbyteries, 
4,578 ministers, 1,014 students and licentiates, 5,672 churches, and 
490,259 communicants. And almost all this is the growth of fifty 
years, or the era from 1800 to 1850. During that period the Presby- 
terian Church may be said to have increased nearly elevenfold. 

V. The Methodist Churches. 

The last in order of time, of the larger religious bodies mainly of 
Anglo-American origin, that arose in the United States was the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church. It was not till the year 1784 that this Church 
was organized — under the superintendence of the Rev. Messrs. Coke 
and Asbury. Up to that time, those who followed the doctrines and 
measures of Wesley remained in connexion with the Protestant Episco- 
pal Church. At the date of its organization the new body had 83 min- 
isters and 14,986 members. In the year 1800 it had 40,000 members. 
Its subsequent increase has been immense. It now spreads over all the 
country, and its " conferences," " districts," and " circuits," cover the 
whole land. Its itinerating system is admirably adapted to the extent 
and wants of so vast and so new a field. In the year 1844, a division 
took place in this body, occasioned by the subject of slavery. In the 
year 1850, the Northern branch, called the "Methodist Episcopal 
Church," had 4004 ministers on its regular service, and 666,310 
members. The " Methodist Episcopal Church South," had 1,642 min- 
isters, and 504,520 members; making in all, 5,646 regular ministers, 
or those on the circuit, besides a large number of local ministers, and 
1,170,830 members. There are several small Methodist bodies. 1. 
In the year 1828 there was a secession from the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, on account mainly of the exclusion of the lay representatives 
from the annual and general conferences ; and the Protestant Methodist 
Church was organized. This body had in 1850 a general Conference, 
22 annual Conferences, 1,200 travelling and local preachers, and 62,000 
communicants. 2. There is what is called the Wesleyan Methodist 
Church, which was another secession, on the ground of slavery and the 
episcopacy, in the year 1842. It has several Conferences, and 20,000 
members. 3. There are some Primitive Methodists in America, but 
their societies are neither large nor numerous. 4. There is a small 
Christian body of coloured people, called the African Methodist Ghurch, 

* It is rather a mixture than a medium, for whilst they reject the doctrine 
of Election, they hold to that of the Perseverance of the Saints, 



18 

which has about 20 circuits, 30 preachers, and near ly 3,000 members. 
And, 5. There are some 20 congregations of Welsh Calvinistic Metho- 
dists. By combining all the churches above mentioned, it will be found 
that there are quite 6,000 regular preachers, at least 8,000 local preach- 
ers, and more than a million and a quarter of members ! There is rea- 
son to believe that the membership of this communion has increased 
much more than six times as fast as the population of the country has 
done since the year 1784! 

VI. The Geeman Churches. 

We come now to a group of Churches of continental origin, and 
which still employ more or less the German language. Hitherto we 
have been speaking of churches which have been founded by emigrants 
from the British Isles, and which speak the English language, and em- 
ploy it, with few exceptions, in their public services. These exceptions 
are some Welsh churches — probably not short of a hundred in all — 
which are mostly Congregational, Methodist, or Presbyterian; a few 
Gaelic churches, that are Presbyterian; some Swedish and Norwegian 
churches, chiefly Lutheran ; and some German churches, which belong 
to the Methodists, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Baptist, &c. Whilst 
all the earlier emigrants from other parts of the continent — such as the 
Dutch, the Huguenots, the Waldenses, the Swedes, &c. — have long 
since lost their languages and become merged in the Anglo-American 
population, those from Germany being much more numerous, and con- 
stantly sustained in the use of their maternal tongue by the never- 
ceasing flow of the immigration from Germany, have retained, in many 
places, their old language, and employ it in their religious services. 1. 
The largest of these bodies is the Lutheran, which, in 1850, consisted 
of a general synod, 19 district synods, 663 ministers, 1,603 congrega- 
tions, and 163,000 members. The increase of this Church since the 
1800 has been very great, but I have no means of measuring it in a 
statistical manner. Not only has its numbers greatly augmented, but 
there has been a great resuscitation of true piety and spiritual life. 2. 
The next German communion, in point of size and influence, is the 
German Reformed Church. This body, like the Lutheran, has received 
great enlargement in the United States within the present century, 
though both existed long before in portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, 
and Virginia. It had last year about 260 ministers, 600 congregations, 
and 70,000 communicants. Tins body has been troubled of late years 
by some speculations, which have been pronounced to be kindred to 
those of Dr. Pusey, but it contains many excellent men, and is rapidly 
increasing in numbers. 3. The United Brethren in Christ. This de- 
nomination arose in the latter part of the last century, from the union 
of some excellent people who had belonged to the Reformed, Lutheran, 
and Mennonist Churches. Their first conference was held in the year 
1800. They had last year nine annual conferences, 4 bishops, or su- 
perintendents, 250 itinerant ministers, 350 local preachers, 1,800 
churches and other places of worsMp, and about 67,000 communicants. 
Their doctrines and modes of worsliip are essentially the same as those 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 4. The Evangelical Association, 



founded in 1800, This is another sect of German Methodists, and is 
similar to the Methodist Episcopal Church in doctrine and church po- 
lity. It has 2 bishops, a general conference, 4 annual conferences, 112 
travelling ministers, 200 local preachers, about 900 places of preaching, 
and 17,000 communicants. 5. The United Brethren, or ''Moravian 
Brethren," as they are often called. They have several settlements, 
chiefly in Pennsylvania, 1 bishop, 23 churches, 27 ministers, and 3,000 
communicants. 6. The Evangelical Church, of quite recent origin, 
an offshoot of the Evangelical Church of Germany. They have a synod 
of some 25 or 30 churches in Missouri, and are increasing. 7. The 
Mennonists, a small body, who are often classed with the Baptists ; but 
they rather pour, than either sprinkle or immerse. They worship chiefly 
in private houses, and their congregations, estimated at 400, are small. 
They have about 240 ministers. They can hardly have more than 
30,000 communicants. 8. The Tunkers or Bunkers. A small sect of 
German Baptists that appeared in America more than 130 years ago. 
They retain some customs which are quite oriental and primitive, such 
as washing the feet and giving the kiss of charity. But little is known of 
their numbers, as they publish no statistics. It is believed that they 
have as many as 250 preachers, and 8,000 or 10,000 members. They 
are generally farmers, and are most numerous in Pennsylvania and Vir- 
ginia. They have lately had a great religious meeting in the latter, to 
which they came in great numbers and from afar in their waggons. 
They are a simple-hearted, industrious, quiet, worthy people. 9. The 
Winebrennerians, a growing sect in Pennsylvania chiefly, of good people, 
founded by Mr. Winebrenner, of Harrisburg, in that State ; I know 
not their numbers. 10, and lastly, there is a small German, Seventh- 
day Baptist Church, much attached to monastic life, but of their statis- 
tics I have nothing that can be depended on. They are not believed 
to exceed a few hundred in number, and their ministers may be as many 
as ten or twelve. It appears from this statement that there are no less 
than ten German branches of the Protestant Church in America, almost 
all of them offshoots of German bodies in Europe, and that they have 
about 1,827 regular ministers, 550 local preachers, 5,356 congrega- 
tions, many of which are very small, and 333,000 members. 

VII. The Friends. 

It only remains that I speak of the Society of Friends, whose " meet- 
ings," or congregations, are estimated at about 500, of which 300 are 
supposed to be orthodox, and 200 " Hicksite," from one Elias Hicks, 
who was a celebrated preacher in that body some twenty years since, and 
taught doctrines of a very deistical character, winch in process of time, 
led to a complete disruption of the body. Whilst it is not doubted that 
there are many excellent and truly pious people in the orthodox portion 
of tins denomination, it is thought that the society is not increasing, at 
least, not perceptibly. Many of the Hicksite branch, especially of the 
young people are falling hito infidelity, in which some will probably con- 
tinue to wander; whilst many, it is believed, will ultimatly be merged 
in the other Protestant churches. 



§0 

The Summary. 
The result of all the investigation which we have been able to bestow 
on the subject is, that there were last year in the United States, in the 
several branches of the Protestant Church, which may be termed Evan- 
gelical — first, 23,614 ministers (besides the " local preachers " of the 
several branches of the Methodist Churches, who are not less than 9,000 
in number) ; second, 58,304 congregations, or assemblies ; third, 3,292,322 
communicants. Given hi a condensed tabular view they stand thus : — 



Denomination. 


Ministers. 


Congre- 
gations. 


Members of 
Churches. 


Protestant Episcopal Gh.ui 


'ch 1,504 


1,550 


73,000 


Congregational body- 


.. 1,687 


1,971 


197,196 


Baptist body 


.. 8,018 


13,455 


948,867 


Presbyterian body . . 


. . . 4,578 


5,672 


490,259 


Methodist body . . 


.. 6,000 


30,000 


1,250,000 


German Churches 


. .. 1,827 


5,356 


333,000 


Friends or Quakers 


•• 


300 





Total .. .. 23,614 58,304 3,292,322 

A few remarks are needed by way of explanation : 

1. When we pronounce all these churches to be evangelical, we do 
not affirm that they are equally so. There are some of the small Ger- 
man denominations about which we are not so well satisfied as we could 
wish to be, and there may be two or three others, all of whose mem- 
bers are not as sound in their religious belief as they should be. What 
we affirm is that, to the best of our belief, not only are their Symbols of 
Faith orthodox, but that the ministers and people sincerely believe the 
great doctrines of salvation ; such as the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, 
and of the Holy Spirit, &c, and that " repentance towards God," and 
" faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ," are held by them to be the only 
terms of salvation. 

2. Although we cannot doubt that there are many who are self-de- 
ceived — some even that are hypocrites, though the motives for a hypo- 
critical profession of religion, since no special honour, or temporal ad- 
vantage, presents itself, cannot be considered great — yet taken as a body, 
the members of our churches give as credible evidence of being chris- 
tians as can reasonably be expected. With all their deficiencies, they 
will compare well, I think, in point of intelligence, proper walk and con- 
versation, liberality and zeal, with an equal number taken in the same 
way in any other country. Almost all our churches endeavour to 
maintain discipline among their people, and require a good " reason of 
the hope that is in them." Still we must acknowledge that there is 
much to be desired hi regard to the spiritual life of our churches. But 
where is tins not the case ? 

It is very difficult to ascertain the exact number of those who are 
preaching the Gospel. We have given the number reported, on the best 
authority that we can find in each religious body. And although it is 
certain that a considerable deduction should be made from the numbers 
given, for superannuated ministers, professors and teachers, missionaries, 



21 

&c, yet all this is far more than made up in the great number of licen- 
tiates, or young ministers, who are not settled, many not having finished 
their theological studies — of whom there are not less than two or three 
thousand. Besides all this, there are at least 9,000 local preachers 
in the several Methodist Churches, all of whom do less or more in the 
way of preaching and holding meetings for prayer, conducting Bible 
classes, superintending Sabbath- schools, &c, &c, as well as various forms 
of pastoral labour. This would make the number of Evangelical 
preachers more than 32,000. 

4. There has been no portion of this investigation attended with 
more difficulty than that relating to the number of individual chinches. 
I have found it to be impossible to attain entire accuracy. The number 
given is rather that of the congregations or assemblies. Large as it is, 
it is certainly much under the mark. The several branches of the Me- 
thodist Chinch, and also the Cumberland Presbyterians, have their cir- 
cuits, each comprehending, for the most part, several places of worship. 
They may be church- edifices, school-houses, court-houses, or private 
houses. If all the places where the Gospel is occasionally preached by 
pastors and others, but where there is no Church organized, — because 
not necessary, — were to be added to those in which a church or body of 
believers is organized, the entire number of places where the Gospel is 
preached would, it is believed, be found to exceed one hundred thousand ! 

5. There are various ways of measuring the progress of religion in a 
country. One of these is statistical, and this we may legitimately apply, 
at this point, to the country of which we are speaking. It is impossible 
to ascertain with entire precision the number of Evangelical m in isters, 
chinches, and communicants in the United States at the epoch of the 
Revolution, seventy-five years ago.* We cannot ascertain the number 
for the year 1800 with strict accuracy ; but we can ascertain enough, 
and I have already given the data, to show, that while the population of 
the United States increased something less than fourfold and a half, 
from 1800 to 1850, the number of Evangelical ministers of the Gospel, 
churches, and members of the chinches, has increased nearly, if not 

* In another work, — Religion in America, (Book III. chapter 1st.)— I 
have stated that, after much inquiry, I had come to the conclusion that 
there were in the year 1775, fourteen hundred and forty-one ministers and 
nineteen hundred and forty churches, in the United States. This state- 
ment included twenty-six Roman Catholic priests and fifty-two churches. 
According to this estimation, there was one minister on an average, for about 
2,429 souls,— supposing the population of the country to have been 3,500,000 
at that epoch, which is probably not far from the truth. 

If we suppose the number of the ministers of the Evangelical Churches 
alone to have been 23,614 in the year 1850, and the population 23,250,000, 
then we shall find that there vras one minister for 984 individuals ! Making 
all proper allowance for the increase of ministers and churches from 1775 
to 1800 — and that increase was not very great, in fact the number of Epis- 
copal ministers was less in the South in the latter of these epochs than of 
the former,— we come to the conclusion that the number of ministers of the 
Evangelical churches alone, — and of the churches and members too, we 
doubt not, — was twice as great in proportion to the population in 1850 as 
it was in 1800. If we include the Non-Evangelical bodies, this increase 
becomes still more astonishing, 

D 



22 

quite, tenfold ! As to other modes of measuring the advance of the 
truth in the United States I shall speak of them presently. 

Non-Evangelical Bodies* 
These differ very much in their relative abandonment of what is 
usually called the Evangelical faith, or system of doctrine. They are 
the following : 

1. The Swedenborgians. Of this well-known sect there are about 
40 small churches, 35 ministers, and 10,000 people. 

2. The Unitarians, chiefly in New England. They count about 300 
churches, 250 ministers, and 30,000 members. There are two parties 
among them : the serious and inquiring portion, who have still a deep 
reverence for the Scriptures; and the party of progress, — rationalistic, 
pantheistic, transcendental — headed by Theodore Parker, Kalph Waldo 
Emerson, and men of like views. Among the former there are many 
worthy and excellent men. 

It is probable that Unitarianism in the United States will disappear 
in process of time very much as it arose — gradually. The more serious 
will return, if proper measures be pursued, to the Evangelical churches — 
many have done so within the last twenty years. Those who have em- 
braced the transcendental and pantheistic views will go further astray, 
until they end in downright infidelity and deism. Indeed that is their 
present position, so far as concerns then' opinions of the Inspiration of 
the Scriptures and the Divine nature. 

3. The Clnistians, or Christ-\am 9 as they are commonly called. 
They were at the outset a warm-hearted, zealous, rather fanatical sect, 
which arose at various points almost simultaneously, some forty years 
ago and more. These deny the Trinity, but hold to salvation by Christ, 
" by whose sufferings, death, and resurrection," they say, " a way has 
been provided by which sinners may obtain salvation." They report 
1,500 churches, as many ministers, and 150,000 members. 

4. There are some German Lutheran Churches in Eastern Penn- 
sylvania, and in other parts that are Socinian, but I have not been able 
to ascertain their number. A portion of the Friends, or Quakers, must 
be placed in this same category. 

5. The Universalists. This is a sect of English origin. Its first 
apostles and propagators were Murray and Winchester. They were 
serious men, and held the doctrine of Restoration. At present there 
are very few among them who believe in any future punishment. They 
have 540 preachers, 550 churches, and 875 societies. 

6. The Ptoman Catholics. This body had hi 1850, .4 archbishops, 
30 bishops, 1,073 churches, 1,081 priests, and a population of 1,500,000 ; 
according to the Roman Catholic Almanac. I shall speak of this body, 
and their position, in another place. 

* I use this term as, on the whole, the best that can be employed, and 
least likely to give offence. That there are truly excellent people in some 
of these bodies, who seem really to love the Saviour, and to rest alone in His 
merits, we must believe. How far the " faith that saves " may consist with 
many errors and obscure and uncertain views respecting the .Divine nature, 
and the true charater of the Saviour, God alone knows. Whilst we should 
be charitable towards others, let us hold fast to truth. 



23 

Of all these non-Evangelical bodies, the Roman Catholics and Unita- 
rians are alone of much account. The former have their perfect organiza- 
tion and consummate tact ; the latter their cultivated intellect and taste, 
their wealth and influential social position. The Christ-ians and Uni- 
versalists have no elements of cohesion and life, and they cannot resist 
long when the truth makes a vigorous onset. None of these systems 
satisfy the demands of the soul. Unitarianism is scarcely maintaining its 
ground at present ; or if it increases, it is doing so at a slower rate 
relatively than the orthodox denominations. 

Resources oe the Gospel. 

Let us next speak of the resources of the Gospel for self-sustentation 
in the United States. The general Government pays the salaries of 
two chaplains every session of Congress for opening each House daily 
with prayer, and for preaching to that body on the Sabbath ; it also 
pays the salaries of twenty-four chaplains in the navy and fifteen in the 
army. It helps to civilize and Christianize some of the Indian tribes, 
by paying annuities to missionary societies for the promotion of educa- 
tion, and a knowledge of the mechanic arts among them. This it does 
according to treaties made with those tribes. Besides this it does 
nothing. Several of the State Governments pay the salaries of chaplains 
to their prisons, and a very few pay the mi nisters who open the daily 
session of their legislative bodies with prayer. This is all that the State 
does with us, or has done, for many years, for the support of public 
worship. This duty, therefore, devolves upon the people ; and after an 
experiment which may well be pronounced to be sufficient, the senti- 
ment is universal with us, that we would on no account have this task 
placed in other hands. Let a few facts confirm our confidence in the 
resources of the Church, or of the Gospel rather, under God's blessing, 
for this work. 

First. After the most careful inquiry which I have been able to make, 
I have come to the conclusion, that our congregations paid, last year, to 
their ministers, in the shape of salaries, parsonages, or glebes, and other 
perquisites, at least 7,670,150 dollars. I am convinced that this is a 
low estimate — much too low, — although it includes only the Evangelical 
Churches. 

Second. There is, probably, nothing that tries the voluntary principle 
with us more effectually than the building of churches to meet the de- 
mands of the country. Last year, the population increased nearly, if 
not quite, 800,000 souls. This would require the building of churches 
to accommodate at least 400,000 persons ; for room is not needed for 
more than half the population in places of worship, in any country. Dr. 
Chalmers once told the writer that he should not think any country 
adequately supplied with church accommodation, if it had not sufficient 
room in its places of worship for one-third part of the population. I think 
that I cannot be mistaken in my estimate, that more than one thousand 
edifices were erected last year in the United States, by all the bodies of 
Christians, Protestants and Romanists, Evangelical and non-Evangelical. 
Indeed, the Evangelical denominations alone certainly built 950.* And 

* This does not require that as many ministers be furnished every 
year ; for, in many cases, and especially in the newer parts of the country, 
one preacher must minister to two or more congregations. 



although some of these were erected to replace old ones, yet there is 
reason to believe that the rest quite came up to, and even exceeded, 
Dr. Chalmers' demand. It must also be kept in mind that in very- 
many places (especially in the newer districts), religious worship is kept 
up, for a time at least, in school-houses, court-houses, and private 
houses. The cost of the church edifices built by the Evangelical 
Churches, including the entire of the expenses for the materiel of public 
worship, such as fuel, light, sexton's wages, &c, &c, must have been 
great ; for although such houses can be built with us in the interior 
villages and rural districts for 1,000 dollars, 500 dollars, and even less, 
yet in the large towns they often cost three, four, five or more thousand; 
whilst in the large cities they often cost twenty-five, thirty, forty, fifty, 
and sometimes one hundred thousand dollars, and even more. We may 
fairly put this item of annual expenditure at the sum of 3,000,000 
dollars. 

Third. Large sums are raised every year to build and endow colleges, 
of which there are now 120 ; all of them under Protestant influence, 
save thirteen (the Baptists have thirteen, Episcopalians ten, the Me- 
thodists thirteen, Roman Catholics thirteen, the Presbyterians and Con- 
gregationalists seventy-one), and theological seminaries, of which there 
are forty-two Protestant ones, with 120 professors, and 1,537 students. 
But I can make nothing more than a conjecture as to the amount. It 
may be put down at 200,000 dollars. 

The Religious Societies. 

Another mode of measuring the progress of Religion, in the United 
States is to consider the growth and operations of Societies organized to 
propagate the Gospel. 

I. BIBLE SOCIETIES. 
No. of 
Founded. Bibles and Tests. Lst. yr. Receipts, 
from begnng. dol. c. 

Amer. Bible Soc, . 1816 6,980,535 633,395 284,614 

Amer. & For B. S. . 1837 794,398 — 41,625 

Amer. Bible Union . 1850 — — 13,300 

II. TRACT SOCIETY. 

No. of No. of pp. from 
pubs. begnng. 

Amer. Tract Society 1824 1,528 2,483,793,562 308,266 

III. HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. 
No. of Places of wor- 
Miss. ship supplied. 

1,575 157,160 

1,461 79,049 

— 30,657 

437 58,070 

— 60,871 

— 30,369 

— 10,692 

— 697 

— 5,525 



Amer. II. Miss. Soc. 


1826 


1,032 


Presb. Brd. of Dom. 






Missions 


. — 


570 


Protest. Episcopal 


. — ■ 


96 


Methodist (North) 


. — 


464 


Methodist (South) 


. — 


273 


Bapt. H. Miss. Soc. 


. — 


118 


Bapt. Brd. of dom. 






Miss. (South) 


. — 


50 


Evan. Luth. H. M. 






Society 


1845 


22 


Eree-Will Baptists 


—J 


50 



25 



IV. SUNDAY-SCHOOL SOCIETIES. 



No. of 








Pubs. Schls. 


Sholars. 






Amer. S.S. Union* . 1824 2,000 ~, 


157,000 


259,915 





Methodist Episcopal — 1,885 7,334 


400,000 


f5,150 





Protestant . .1826 300 — 


— 


— 




Massachusetts . . more than 3,000 — 


— 


25,732 






V. EDUCATION SOCIETIES. 
American Education Society, founded 1816. — 436 young 



men received aid in 1849 — >50 








30,181 53 


Society for Promotion of Collegiate 


and Theological 




Education. — 6 Colleges aided 


. 




. 


44,663 31 


Board of Education of Presbyterian 


Church 


.—373 




young men, &c, 100 Parochial schools, 


32 academies, 




11, colleges (7 assisted) 










35,975 


VI. MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. 




Miss. 


Asst. Stat. 


Com. 


?chlrs. 




Amer. Board C. F. M. J 57 


360 


134 25,875 


22,824 


251,339 35 


Amer. Baptist Union. 56 


250 


155 


12,500 


2,772 


87,537 20 


Presb. Board of Miss. 55 


43 


28 


282 


1,709 


126,075 40 


Episcopal ... . 10 


9 


8 


96 


656 


36,114 11 


Methodist Missions . 34 


several 


8 


1,611 


— 


38,193 14 


Amer. Miss. Associat. 12 


31 


10 


380 


— 


26,849 66 


Lutheran Missions . 5 


— 


2 


— 


263 


4,230 42 


Assoc. Presb. Church 5 


— 


2 


— 


— 


3,182 32 


M. E. Church (South) 5 


— 


2 


— 


— 


6,000 


Baptist Church . . 12 


24 


12 


— 


320 


28,697 70 


Baptist Pree Mission . 2 


5 


2 


— 


— 


6,571 81 


Free-Will Baptists . 3 


7 


2 


— 


130 


4.433 5 


Seventh Day ... 2 


— 


1 


— 


— 


1,200 


Amer. & For. Ch. Un. 100 


— 


— 


— 


— 


45,942 64 



40,744 



28,674 2,148,878 64 
or, £429,775 12s.+ 



It appears then that the receipts of these religious societies last year 
amounted to 2,148,878 dollars, or 429,775 J. There are some of 
them that deserve a passing remark or two, as showing what can be 
done to meet the demands of our rapidly-increasing and widely- 
spreading population. 

1. The American Home Missionary Society, supported by Congre- 
gational Churches and the New School Presbyterians, employed 1,032 
missionaries in the home field ; the Old School Presbyterians, through 
their Board, 570 ; the Baptists, 168 ; the Episcopalians, 96 ; the Me- 
thodists, 737 : in all, 2,603, at the cost of 426,868 dollars. 

2. The American Bible Society distributed 633,395 Bibles and 
Testaments ; that Society and the American and Foreign Bible Society 
have circulated 7,774,933 since the commencement of their operations. 



* This is the number only of the schools, and scholars in them, which were visited by 
the Agents of the Society last year, — not of the entire number of the schools which have 
relations with that Society. 

f From donations only. 
t These receipts were for the year ending with May 1st, 1850. They show an 
advance of more than 150,000 dollars., (or £30,000) beyond those of the year 1848,-49, the 
receipts for the year ending May 1st, 1851 shows a decided increase upon those of 1849,-50. 



m 

3. The American Tract Society circulated last year 269,984,615 
pages of tracts, 886,662 volumes, and employed 508 colporteurs 
during the whole or part of the year, who visited 428,000 families, of 
whom 44,800 were Roman Catholic. Its monthly paper, the Messenger, 
has a circulation, of 200,000 hi English and 10,000 in German. 

4. The American Education Society and the General Assembly's 
Board supported, last year, 809 young men, who were preparing for 
the ministry. 

5. The American Sunday-school Union has issued 2,000 different 
publications, mostly hooks for Sunday-school libraries ; the Methodist 
Sunday-school, 1,885; the Massachusetts Sunday-school Union, 3,000; 
and the Episcopal, 300. It is estimated that there are now more 
than 2,000,000 of children, youth, and adults, in Sunday-schools in the 
United States, taught by more than 200,000 teachers, among whom are 
to be found many of the best of our young people, and even members of 
Congress and of our State Legislatures, judges, lawyers, mayors of our 
cities, and other magistrates, and of our "honourable women" not a 
few. 

6. The several Foreign Missionary Societies and Boards sustained in 
the foreign field 358 missionaries, 729 assistant missionaries at 366 
stations, and have 40,744 communicants in their churches, and 28,674 
pupils in their schools. 

In this notice of the receipts of religious societies we have not in- 
eluded those of the Colonization Societies, Anti-slavery Societies, and 
several others of that class. It results from this statement that the sum 
of 12,999,139 dollars, or 2,599,827/., was contributed in the year 
1850, by the Evangelical Churches of the United States, for the support 
of the Gospel at home, and its propagation abroad. The sum that was 
expended abroad was about 675,000 dollars, or 135,000/. If we add 
the amount contributed by the non-Evangelical bodies for the support 
of their Churches, &c, the entire amount will not fall short of 15,000,000 
dollars, or more than 3,000,000/.* All tins is given voluntarily for the 
promotion of religion. It is really a privilege and ajblessing to those 
who give this sum to be permitted to do it. 

Conclusion. 

There are several subjects of much importance, on winch I must say 
a few words in bringing this Eeport to a close ; otherwise it will not do 
justice either to the Churches or the Country to winch it relates. 

1. Christian Union. There is a great deal of Christian intercourse 
between brethren of the different branches of the Church of Christ in 
the United States. All standing on the same platform, so far as the 
government and the laws are concerned, they have little occasion for 
envy and jealousy. Ministers of different denominations preach often 

* I am quite sure that the statement in the text comes much short of the 
truth. And as to the sum given, great as it may seem to those who have 
lived in countries where the State bears all, or a very large portion of the 
expense of public worship, it is really small when the number of the 
members of the churches and other serious and well-disposed persons is 
considered. 



£7 

for each other. In many of the smaller towns, the pastors meet once a 
week for social intercourse, consultation, and prayer. Several of the 
branches of the Protestant Church have suffered much evil from division .* 
This state of things is usually of not very long duration ; better feelings 
triumph, aud a kindly fellowship returns. In the meanwhile these 
internal difficulties seldom interfere with a pleasant intercourse with 
christians of other bodies. Several of our religious and benevolent 
societies often bring brethren of different churches to act together, and 
in tins respect serve as evangelical alliances. 

2. Influence of Christianity upon the Government. Although there 
is no union of the Church and the State with us, it is far from being true 
that Christianity has no influence upon the State. It is true that the 
number of the actual members, or communicants, in all the churches, is 
hardly a sixth part of the whole population, and that of the evangelical 
churches scarcely a seventh ; yet the influence on the general govern- 
ment has been often felt and seen. It could not prevent the recent war 
with Mexico, for the nation was precipitated into it without a moment's 
warning ; but it compelled, or induced rather, the government to carry 
it on on principles much more just and humane than those on which 
wars have been hitherto carried on in an enemy's country. One of the^se 
was that the army should pay for what it received from the enemy in 
the shape of provisions ; so that military requisitions were seldom made. 
Christians are not willing, with us, to be held responsible for all the acts 
of our Government, for there are many which they have not had the 
ability to prevent. Does not the same thing happen in Great Britain, 
in France, and other countries in Europe, very often ? 

That Christianity exerts a vast influence with us in securing obedience 
to the law, without the use of the bayonet, is certain. That there are 
sometimes riots and murders — alas ! too often, indeed — is undeniable ; 
but if we look at the newness of the country, its great facilities for con- 
cealment and ultimate escape, and the great influx of ignorant, irreligious, 
and in many cases priest-ridden people from abroad,f we shall see 

* The subject of slavery has been one of the elements (as in the case of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church) of division. How far division, from 
such a cause, will serve to hasten the overthrow of slavery in the Southern 
States, is not a question for remark in this place. Other causes have led to 
the dividing some of the communions (as, for instance, the Presbyterian 
Church) into two bodies. In the case of the large bodies, this division is 
far from proving an unmitigated evil. It leads to greater watchfulness and 
exertion, and diminishes evils which result from overgrown organizations. 

f That a very large number of our most desperate criminals are foreigners, 
is a well-known fact. From all parts of Europe they come to us, and of 
late even from Australia. Often have I been applied to by Christian friends 
in Europe, to advise and aid persons wiio have committed forgery and other 
crimes in Europe, and have escaped to America, in order that they might be 
induced and enabled to return to the paths of virtue and usefulness. Nor 
has any such application ever been made in vain. Thanks be to God, I 
have in most cases been successful in my efforts. Even whilst this Alliance 
has been holding its sessions, I have received a letter of thanks from an 
English father, for my efforts in behalf of his son, who had been sentenced, 
for homicide, committed in America, to many years' imprisonment, but who 
has received a pardon, and returned home, a renewed man, through the 
grace of Cod. 



reason to be astonished that there is not more crime and violence. That 
vast country, with its 24 millions of people, could not be governed as it 
is, — without a military force worthy of mention, excepting, indeed, for 
its littleness, — but for the wide-spread influence of the gospel on the 
minds of men. 

In some of our States, an unwise and ill-regulated philanthropy has 
led to efforts to abolish all capital punishment, even for the greatest 
crimes, and in one or two of them this step has actually been taken. 
The injurious influence of the propagation of erroneous opinions on this 
subject, has been widely felt of late, in the more frequent occurrence of 
horrible crime, and especially of murder. It is to be hoped that the 
public mind will be roused to better views on this very important subject. 
In general, the pulpit and the religious press have taken and held the 
right ground in relation to it. 

3. The Temperance Cause. Although the population of the country 
has been almost doubled since the first Temperance Society was formed 
on right principles, yet there is less drunkenness by far than there was 
then. The cause of temperance advances favourably, upon the whole. 
It is a never-ending work. No relaxation can be allowed without detri- 
ment. The happy influence of the cause is now seen and felt in many 
of our ships. And we canribt but be thankful that the use of intoxicating 
drinks, as a beverage, is almost completely banished from the tables and 
the houses of Christians with us. The contrast is great between such a 
state of tlrings and that which one sees in some other countries. 

4. The Observance of the Sabbath. On this subject we have much 
to cheer. Although there is still enough to deplore, we have much to 
be grateful for. There is a far better observance of the Sabbath than 
there was a few years ago in many parts of the country. Whilst there 
is still too much violation of the sacred day in the suburbs and neigh- 
bourhood of our large cities, it is pleasant to see that the streets of 
none of them (so far as I know, unless it be New Orleans) are disturbed 
by the rumbling of omnibuses.* All of the States, I believe, have made 
laws to enforce the observance of the Sabbath. This has been done on 
the avowed principle that we are a Christian nation. That doctrine we 
hold. And though the state requires of no man that he attend this or 
that church, or any church at all, or do any tiring to support any form 
of worship ; yet it does require him to desist from labour, at least from 
such labour as interferes with the sacred employments and enjoyments 
of others. It seems so near to a dictate of natural religion and of com- 
mon reason, as well as Christianity, that man and beast should rest part 
of their time, that our lawgivers do not seem to have had any misgivings 
on the subject ; and yet the enforcement of the law is seldom resorted 
to. A better way is pursued, — that of enlightening the people by the 
press and the pulpit, as to then duties and their privileges. A few gen- 
tlemen have employed the Rev. Dr. Edwards, — the originator of tempe- 
rance societies on the present plan, — for several years, to visit the chief 

* Through, one of the main streets of New York, the passenger trains on 
a railroad, drawn by horses, are permitted to run on the Sabbath. Even 
this, though there is but little noise, is considered a nuisance, as well as a 
violation of the sacred day. 



29 

places, and preach before legislatures and Congress, and so influence the 
leading minds of the country, as well as to employ the press for that 
object. The success of this quiet and effective course has been great. 
There is not a car running on any of the railroads in New England, I 
believe, on the Sabbath, nor is the mail carried there on that day. A 
similar change is going on in the middle and other states. The carrying 
of the mail on the Sabbath was discontinued on 8,000 miles of road 
last year, through these quiet efforts. Dr. E&yards visits the officers 
of the government, legislators, and directors ofrail-roads, and sits down 
and talks the matter over kindly with them as a christian man and a 
gentleman should; nor does he labour in vain, — for he has to deal with 
men who, almost without exception, respect religion, and not a few are 
religious men. 

5. Infidelity. There is but little infidelity of the old fashion, among 
the well-educated classes in the United States. Among our public men, 
— the men at the head of the general government, and our statesmen gene- 
rally, — as well as our influential lawyers and physicians there is incompa- 
rably less infidelity than there was fifty years ago. There is a considerable 
ble amount of a refined, transcendental spiritualism, among certain classes 
of a certain cultivation, in portions of New England. The thing is 
rather fashionable there at present. But the worst forms of infidelity 
are to be foimd among the Germans, the French, the Swiss, the Italians, 
and other foreigners from the Continent, who are to be foimd in our 
large cities. The vilest attacks upon Christianity are to be foimd in 
German papers published in New York and other cities. And what is 
a great difficulty, we cannot yet reach them, for the want of the right 
men, — men who speak their languages. Europe sends us few such 
men.* M. Cabet and Ins Icarians are trying such an experiment at 
Nauvoo, as Frances Wright and her sister tried in Tennessee twenty- 
five years ago, and as Robert Dale Owen at New Harmony in Indiana, 
and others have tried in other places, — namely, to get up a sort of 
Christless, and even Godless community in which Human Nature may 
have a fair chance to develope all its good qualities without any inter- 
ference from the superstitions of a benighted antiquity. At the same 
time the Mormons, driven first from Missouri, and afterwards from 
Illinois by an outraged community, are building a city at Salt Lake, in 
the territory of Utah, on the road from St. Louis to California ; already 
they have fifteen or twenty thousand deluded followers, at or near that 
spot, and some small communities elsewhere, and their missionaries are 
traversing these British Isles, (where they boast that they have no less 
than 35,000 converts), and penetrating into every country on the con- 



* We shall be compelled to raise them up from among ourselves. Blessed 
be God this good work is now fairly commenced, so far as the German po- 
pulation is concerned. The Lutheran and German Reformed Churches have 
five theological Schools in which about 80 young men are preparing for the 
ministry. They have also two colleges. We are beginning to obtain, for 
the Canadian population which is entering our States that border on Ca- 
nada, young men, missionaries and colporteurs, from the seminaries of 
Grande Ligne and Pointe-aux-Trembles in that country, and which our 
churches have assisted in founding. 

E 



30 

tinent, in order to make converts to one of the silliest and basest of all 
delusions that arch-villainy ever attempted to propagate, from the 
days of Mohammed to this present time. But the economical advan- 
tages of the scheme in connexion with the license which it is believed 
to give to the strongest passions of the corrupt heart of man, will se- 
cure great success for a while. In the mean while the government of 
the United States treats the whole movement with utter indifference. 
It contents itself, and properly so,* with requiring that the projected 
Mormon State shall be organized on the same republican principles that 
underlie the other state governments. And truth will find its way in 
due time, into the midst of the corrupt community, and overthrow the 
absurdities and impieties of Joseph Smith's pretended revelations. 

6. The Aborigines. The first colonists found the whole country 
possessed, or rather occupied, if the word may be used, by many tribes 
of Aborigines, speaking different languages, and hostile to each other in 
many cases, and living by fishing and the chase. The number of these 
people was small in comparison with the country. Wars and pestilen- 
tial diseases were steadily diminishing them in some regions ; in others 
they were perhaps slowly increasing. It was the desire and intention 
of the colonists, as expressed in the charters of most if not all of them, 
to christianize these people. Some attempts were made at the outset, 
but with very partial success. It was not long till wars began between 
them, as we have elsewhere stated, and with the exception of the efforts 
of Elliot, the Mayhews, and others in New England, in the seventeenth 
century, and of David Brainerd and his brother John in New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania, andof Zeisberger and others in Ohio, in the eighteenth, there 
was nothing done worthy of mention until the present century ; nor even 
then till about the year 1816. Since that time missions and schools 
have been planted in many of the tribes, and civilization and religion 
have made much progress, especially among the Choctaws, the Cherokees, 
and some of the smaller tribes, The Gospel is also gaining a foothold 
among the Creeks, one of the largest of all the tribes. The govern- 
ment has for several years been collecting the tribes which were within 
the limits of the States, upon a large territory west of the States of 
Arkansas and Missouri, which may be their own as long as they choose 
to maintain a national or tribal existence, and so get clear of the con- 
flicts which so often arose whilst they were within the limits of any of 
the States. This work has advanced very much, and the worst of the 
evils attendant on the removal of so many people, partially civilized, 
have, it is hoped, passed away. 

The United States Government pays to these tribes large sums of 
money, in the shape of annuities, being either interest of the purchase- 

* It would be the greatest of calamities for the general government to 
interfere with the religious opinions and movements of these people, 
save to the extent spoken of above. Their expulsion from Missouri and Illi- 
nois did much for thern ; it created a sympathy for them as for a persecuted 
people. The temporal advantages which they offer constitute the great in- 
ducement to poor and ignorant people to join them. Their leaders are play- 
ing a deep game. But time which tries all things else, will show that 
Truth will destroy even this vile imposture— the invention of a profane and 
t\ icked man. 



SI 

money for the lands which they sold to the Government at their re- 
moval, or instalments of that money, agreeahly to treaties made. Out 
of these moneys,* large sums are now appropriated by the governments 
of these tribes to the maintenance of schools and academies, and for the 
promotion of the useful arts. A large number of these Indians, es- 
pecially among the Choctaws and Cherokees, can read, and some are 
well educated men, and would do themselves credit in any legislative 
body. There are respectable newspapers in the Cherokee and Choctaw 
languages. Civilization is steadily advancing among them. There are 
several thousand members of the churches planted among the several 
tribes by Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Moravian, and other mis- 
sionaries. The Cherokees are about 18,000; the Choctaws 15,000; 
the Creeks 22,000 : and there are several small tribes which have been 
removed to the same extensive territory. The entire population of that 
territory is quite large enough to make a respectable State ; and it is 
sincerely to be desired that these tribes may one day unite and form a 
regular member of the American Union. Diversity of language and the 
influence of the chiefs, who now have the government of each tribe 
very much in their hands, are the great obstacles to this plan at present. 
The English language is, however, gaining ground, and will one day — 
though comparatively distant, — supplant all others. These tribes, now 
that civilization has gained so great an ascendency among them, are, it 
is believed, increasing instead of diminishing. 

A great deal has been said about the wasting away of the Aborigines 
of America before the European races. That this has been the case, to 
a considerable extent, is true ; but not to the extent that is often sup- 
posed. The remains of former tribes have been greatly absorbed in 
other and larger ones. It is possible that Civilization and Christianity 
may save some of the tribes, — Cherokees, Choctaws, etc., — fer a long- 
time from annihilation, or absorption in other tribes ; but it is certain, I 
think, that all of them will, sooner or later, be absorbed in the Europeo- 
American population. To this destiny every thing infallibly points. 
And probably it will be seen to be the best arrangement in the long 
run. The United States seem to be destined to be the scene in which 
a more complete fusion of the races is to take place than the world has 
hitherto seen. I know an excellent man, born in Virginia, who re- 
presents the four continents, as it were ; for m his veins is the blood of 
the European, African, Asiatic, and American (aboriginal) races! 

7. Slavery. What has Christianity done for the African race? The 
first of these people that came to our shores were brought by a Dutch 
ship in the year 1620. The slave-trade soon commenced, and for a 
hundred and fifty-five years it was carried on by English ships, and ex- 
clusively so, so far as the English Colonies were concerned, and indeed 
so far as all the American Continent was concerned for many years, as 
England had a monopoly of the whole trade for a period. At the time 
of the declaration of Independence, there were more than 500,000 of 
these people in the country, almost all of them slaves, and chiefly in 
the Southern states. 

* Amounting to about a million of dollars, annually t at present. 



m 

The colonists at first and for a long time, looked upon these people as 
heathen and aliens, that had been obtruded upon them, and spoke and 
acted about them very much as they seem to have supposed that the 
Jews did about the Canaanites who remained in their country, after the 
conquest, and whom they were permitted to enslave. It was much the 
fashion^ if I may so say, in those days, to speak in that way. For a 
long time the poor degraded people seem to have shared but little in 
the protection of the laws, and to have had but little sympathy from 
the churches. The laws appear scarcely to have regarded them as 
coming within their scope. And the Church that was the dominant, 
and for a long time the exclusive one hi the portions of the country where 
slavery most accumulated — that is Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas 
■—had not sufficient religious zeal and vitality, — though it had many 
excellent people in it — to accomplish much in a work so eminently mis- 
sionary as the labour of converting these people. And let it be re- 
membered that this church was at that time established by law ? as really 
so as that of England. 

The Presbyterians and Baptists had no foothold there, until more 
than one hundred years after slavery had commenced its existence in 
Virginia, and the Methodists were fifty years later still in gaining an or- 
ganization in any of the southern States. The evil was great before 
those three denominations began to exist in that part of the country. 
At present the Baptist and Methodist bodies are the great ecclesiastical 
bodies which exist in the South. The Presbyterians and Episcopalians 
combined are far less numerous than either of them. 

What would have been the state of things at the present day, if the 
churches had from the first taken the ground that no slave-holder should 
share in church-fellowship, I cannot say, for I do not know — it would 
require Omniscience to answer that question. But that was not done ; 
nor was it to be expected, considering what was the then state of opinion 
hi the religious world, on the subject.* Good men hi England were 
engaged in the slave-trade till long after that day. The churches in the 
southern colonies could hardly be expected to be in advance of the world 
on that subject, situated as they were. All that they thought of doing, 
— all that they thought that Christianity required, — was, that they 
should inculcate on masters and slaves their correlative duties, and do as 
well as they could under laws which evidently regarded these people as 
aliens and property which might be transferred from hand to hand and 
place to place. I simply state the facts of the case, and I think they 
will not be questioned. 

* Towards the close of the eighteenth century, more than 160 years after 
slavery had been introduced, and when its roots had" become numerous and 
closely entwined with all the interests of the southern people, the Reformed 
Presbyterian Church, and two other small Scottish bodies of the Presbyterian 
family made their appearance in the United States. From the^ outset, the 
first named took the ground that no slave-holder should be received into its 
membership. It was not very difficult for a Church composed almost en- 
tirely of people recently arrived and their children, to take that ground and 
hold it. A portion of the other two Scottish Churches have striven to 
occupy the same ground and succeeded. This was comparatively easy. It 
was quite another thing to create Churches composed of those whose fami- 
lies hud for generations been involved in the evil. 



m 

■ And now the question returns : what has Christianity done for these 
people? And we are better prepared to answer it.— It has endeavoured, 
under laws unjust and barbarous, and every way unfavourable for the 
successful propagation of the gospel, to inculcate humanity and kindness 
on the part of the master, and obedience and fidelity on the part of the 
slave. It has secured the comfortable maintenance of the slaves, as to 
food and clothing and lodging,— I speak generally — for I know there 
are exceptions. It has secured the enforcement of the laws relating 
to the sabbath, and so given the slave a seventh part of his time as a 
day of rest. It is. certainly a rare thing for a slave to be compelled to 
work on the Lord's day — especially in those portions of the 'south where 
Christianity is most prevalent. It has exerted a very great counter- 
acting influence in regard to the loose and unjust position in which the 
laws have left the subject of marriage. Whatever those laws may per- 
mit in the shape of polygamy, Christianity has done much to cause the 
marriage relations to be held sacred. It has done much to prevent the 
separation of families by sale ; and its influence has been felt in this 
respect by christian masters. But so long as the laws remain as they 
are, death andjeven debt will often defeat the wishes of the best masters. 
It has brought tens of thousands of both masters and slaves to the 
knowledge of Christ. There are probably more than three hundred 
thousand slaves who profess Christ in the fifteen slave-holding States. 
It is reported that there are 50,000 in the single State of South Caro- 
lina. Christianity has induced many a master to liberate his slaves. 
There are more than 400,000 free people of African origin in the 
United States, who are the descendants of slaves, if they were not slaves 
themselves. These people or their fathers, were liberated through the 
influence of Christianity. Their present value , if the value of human beings 
can be estimated by money, far exceeds all that England gave to free 
her West India slaves, and all this was the gift, as it were, of indivi- 
duals. Christianity is steadily advancing in the Southern States, as is 
demonstrable in many ways. And this is our hope. As the legislatures 
of the Southern States have exclusive control, by the constitution, over 
the subjects of slavery, each in its own sphere, it is only through the 
prevalence of Christianity in all those States, that we can hope for the 
peaceable overthrow of slavery in the United States — and of no other 
overthrow of it will we speak, or can we speak, as Christian men. It 
is this, in connexion with the operation of other causes — among which 
may be named its circumscription within its present Hmits, and the 
consequent diminution of the value of slave-labour, at no very distant 
day, — that will lead to its overthrow sooner or later. It will require 
time ; but the great consummation will come. The christian influence 
in the South, though considerable, is not sufficient to control ligislation 
there. The proportion of the slave-holders, — I refer to men, men of 
influence, — who profess to be religious men, — is not great. Many of 
their wives and children, many poor white men, and many slaves and 
free negroes are pious ; but the overwhelming preponderance of po- 
litical influence is in the hands of unconverted masters. 

But religion is gaining ground in the South, as well as in the North. 
It is greatly to be desired that its increase may be far more rapid. For 



34 

the influence which is to overthrow slavery must come from within 
those states, not from without. The people of the North cannot libe-- 
rate the slaves of the South. Of course, the people of other lands can- 
not. We may grow indignant, and blaspheme, and even curse, if we 
will; but it will not hasten,' — it will only retard, — the work. The 
people of the South, who alone have control of the subject, cannot be 
driven. They may be persuaded, and the cause can be greatly aided 
by proper means ; but those means are not denunciation and maledic- 
tion, come from what quarter they may. 

I have spoken to you my honest sentiments- — as .God is my witness. 
I have never held any other, because my reason will not permit it. If 
I am wrong in these views, I am consciensciously so. I am not 
aware that in holding them I am influenced by sinister or corrupt mo- 
tives. I have never had but one opinion of slavery itself, however 
much I may respect many of those who are implicated in it, both mas- 
ters and slaves ; I sincerely pity them. I have never made any extra- 
ordinary profession or enunciation of my abhorrence of this dreadful 
evil — this direful curse, which the Old World has bequeathed to my 
country, — either in England or elsewhere, to secure the favour or 
friendship of any man, nor shall I. 

There are some things about which I cannot entertain a doubt. 
Whatever may be my opinion about the wisdom of some other mea- 
sures for overthrowing slavery in the southern States, I cannot despair 
of the influence of the Gospel as the grand means of its ultimate re- 
moval. I know of no slave-holding state in the Union where we cannot 
preach the Gospel to slaves, and where they are not allowed to hear, 
believe, and be saved.* In several states, not all, laws were made 
twenty-five years ago, forbidding to teach the slaves to read. This 
was done solely through fear, lest incendiary publications might be, as 
was madly attempted, circulated among them, to excite them to rise 
and destroy their masters. That these most unjust laws are disregarded 
by some masters is affirmed, and reasonably enough, as well as by 
slaves who can read. But no law has been made to prevent the preach- 
ing of the Gospel. For this I am thankful. I have devoted a great 
deal of my time, from first to last, to teaching persons of the coloured 
race, bond and free, to read. I have had in the classes I have taught, 
and in the Sabbath schools I have superintended, at least three hundred 
of them, in my younger years, before I entered the ministry. I am 

* There are people in this country who seem to know scarcely any thing 
that is worth knowing about the United States. I have astonished some 
of them beyond measure, by telling them that the Gospel can be preached, 
— salvation by the Lamb — can be preached, as the Saviour and the Apos- 
tles preached it, — to all classes of people in the Southern States, slaves as 
well as masters ; and that whatever the trials of the former may be, they are 
not too great for grace to enable those who believe to overcome. That their 
young women are exposed to great temptations, especially those of them 
that have any beauty, is not denied ; but thousands of them resist, and 
successfully resist, those temptations, through the grace which God gives 
to those who seek. If one half of what Mr. Mahew has said about London 
be true, there are tens of thousands of young women in that city, whose 
temptations are quite as great as any which oui poor coloured girls are ex- 
posed to in the South. 






85 

not indifferent to the importance of reading the Word of God, and I 
sincerely wish that all, bond and free, black and white, might be able 
to do it, and have a Bible to read. But so long as the Gospel can be 
preached to the slaves, I shall not despair of their salvation.; for I know 
that it is emphatically by the preaching of the Gospel that men always 
have been, and always will be saved. Besides, I cannot but believe the 
laws to which I have referred must be temporary. In the mean while, 
those means of religious instruction which can be employed ought to be 
greatly augmented. And this is perfectly practicable ; nor is the sub- 
ject wholly neglected ; as the missionary and other efforts of the Pres- 
byterians, Methodists, and other religious bodies in the South attest. 
Indeed the interest in it is increasing from year to year. May it in- 
crease a hundredfold. 

I am not ignorant of the evils of slavery in America. I feel sad 
when I think of them. The system injures, deeply injures both par- 
ties. When there are none of the meliorating influences of religion, 
these evils are often horrible. Nothing, in my opinion, but the influence 
of the Gospel, can mitigate those evils, and finally and completely over- 
throw the system. The very slave-holders themselves, with us, are the 
only men who must be induced to overthrow it. Can we hope ever to 
see them do it, but through the influence of the Gospel upon their own 
hearts. 

But the question is often asked: whether religion can be expected to 
make progress in such a population ! God has Himself answered that 
question. He pours ( out His Spirit and renders His word effective to 
the salvation of both masters and slaves. No man can deny this, who 
has any accurate knowledge of the slave-holding states. I have preached 
the Gospel too often to both masters and slaves, and conversed with 
both too much, to have a doubt on this subject. Indeed, if I did not 
feel confident on this subject, I should have no hope for the peaceable 
overthrow of slavery at all. And if I did not believe that the Spirit of 
God can renew the hearts of both masters and slaves in America, I 
should have little hope in regard to the debased and polluted heathen 
nations of the world. But where is the heart that the Spirit of God 
cannot change ? Here, then, is my hope. And I think that the first 
and greatest duty of Christians in our Northern States is to say to their 
Southern brethren : " Slavery is a great evil to you, to the slave, to the 
country at large ; we earnestly desire its abolishment ; but it is a sub- 
ject in which you must take the lead ; for with you is the power, by the 
constitution, to act effectively in it ; the South is jealous of the North- 
ern interference ; — very well, do you take the lead in this movement, and 
we will follow and aid you ; begin with what is practicable and let 
every thing be done which can be done to cause the Gospel to be 
preached faithfully to masters and slaves, we will help you with our 
money and our prayers ; where the slaves and free coloured people, can 
be taught to read, let there be no want of schools ; where they cannot 
be taught in schools let it be done privately, if that be allowed ; if that be 
not possible, let them be taught the scriptures orally, and assembled 
regularly morning and evening for this purpose, as is done by some excel- 
lent masters in Georgia and South Carolina. Where you have slaves who 



36 

are capable of taking care of themselves, set them free, and if they may 
not remain in the state where you are, send them north, send them 
west, or send them to Liberia if they prefer ; if they cannot take care 
of themselves, beside clothing and feeding them well, begin to give them 
reasonable wages, that they may lay up something for the day when 
they may set up for themselves ; in a word do all you can to hasten the 
coming of freedom, and we will stand by you and help you to the 
uttermost of our power ; we will even bear, if a loss can be proved, 
oiu' full share of the expense of a reasonable compensation for your slaves, 
—for the whole of them, in order that you may not be impoverished." 

Something like this is the course which I would have our Northern 
christians, and indeed all classes, pursue towards the people of the South 
Alas, this course has not been pursued as it should have been. It is 
quite too old-fashioned to suit the views of those among us, who claim 
par excellence and exclusively to be the friends of the slave. But to 
something like this we shall have to come, before all is over, if ever sla- 
very be abolished in a peaceable manner, I apprehend ; nor do I doubt 
that tins course will one day be pursued. In the meanwhile, the area 
of slavery has been limited by the providential arrangements of our 
Heavenly Father, rather than any efforts of man, in the results of the 
late Mexican war; California and Oregon can have no slaves; it is very 
certain that neither New Mexico nor Utah will have any; a portion of 
Texas has been saved from the evil;* the slave-trade is abolished in the 
district of Columbia ; the growing conviction that slavery is a dreadful 
hindrance to the temporal prosperity of the States where it exists ; the 
constantly increasing superiority of the free States; — all these things 
and many more are conspiring with moral causes to bring on the day 
when this dreadful evil must cease for ever among us. May God 
hasten it! 

8. Romanism. The original Eoman Catholic population of the 
United States was very small, and chiefly confined to Maryland. Even 
at the commencement of the devolution (1775), there were but twenty- 
six priests, and fifty-two congregations. By the acquisition of Loui- 
siana, (1803), a large addition was made to the number of those who 
belong to that communion. The purchase of Florida (1819) added a 
few thousands more. But the great source of the increase of that body 
has been immigration from Europe — from Ireland, first of all ; and next 
from Germany and France. This increase has been very rapid within 
the last fifteen or twenty years. It is not easy to say what is the precise 
proportion of the emigrants from Europe to our shores who are Roman 
Catholics; it is believed to be rather more than one half at present. 

The number of Roman Catholics in the United States at this time is 
not known with accuracy. Archbishop Hughes of New York estimated 
it to be, in 1850, three millions. On the other hand, the authors of 
the Catholic Almanac, published at Baltimore, under the auspices of 
the late Archbishop Eccleston, made it only 1,650,000, and asserted 
that they had taken much pains to be exact. We are inclined to be- 

* And 25,000 square miles more would have been, had it not been for the 
folly of some of our soi-dimnt friends of the slave. 



37 

lieve that the Archbishop is nearer the truth than the Baltimore gen- 
tlemen. It is worthy of remark, however, that the increase of the papal 
population is less rapid from immigration, than would appear from the 
numbers that reach our shores. A large portion of them are poor and 
not well prepared to encounter the exposures and sickness winch must 
be encountered in so great a removal and to so new a country, possess- 
ing a climate differing much from that which they have left. Change 
of diet also has its effects. And lastly, many lose their lives by rushing 
on board of cheap but unsafe steam-boats, when they arrive at New 
Orleans and other places in the valley of the Mississippi, and on the 
Lakes. Dreadful loss of life has often happened from this cause. 

There are now four Roman Catholic Archbishops, thirty bishops, 
1073 churches, and 1081 priests. They have thirteen colleges, and nu- 
merous male and female schools. Each bishop has students of theo- 
logy under his care. Large sums of money are constantly received 
from Europe — from the Lyons " Society for Propagating the Faith," 
from the " Leopold Society" of Vienna, and from other sources. They 
are building many churches every year, some of which are quite large 
and costly. A great deal of the money which they receive from abroad 
is expended in this way. 

The number of proselytes whom they gain from protestantism has 
not been great hitherto. Occasionally a person of some importance, 
from Ms position, or his education and pursuits, or his family, joins 
them ; but it was rightly remarked, recently, by a Philadelphia corres- 
pondent of the " Freeman's Journal," their principal organ, that where 
they gain one, they lose many. The Editor of the Journal just named, 
said some months ago, that the defections from their Church, in the 
United States, were perfectly frightful ! They are constantly losing by 
conversion to protestantism. And they lose many more, from their 
young men abandoning their church and becoming infidels. That these 
persons, or their children, will ultimately become protestants, is quite 
certain. 

Placed on the same footing with the Protestants by the law, and con- 
stantly mingling with them, and treated kindly by them, as they almost 
invariably are, they cannot remain unaffected by the very atmosphere, 
as it were, which they breathe. The newspapers, which are cheap and 
of a popular form with us, exert an influence upon them which can 
hardly be estimated. Our " free schools " in the Northern States bring 
their children into contact with protestant ones, and cause them to hear 
and know many things which they could not, if brought up in papal 
countries. Besides, our tract- distribution, our Sabbath-schools, our 
city missions, — all combine to bring the truth to the houses and often to 
the hearts of the Boman Catholics. I am happy also to state that our 
churches are awaking to combined and systematic efforts in behalf of 
our Boman Catholic population, as well as Boman Catholic nations 
abroad. Our American and Foreign Christian Union, which embraces 
good men of all the evangelical communions, employed last year, — 
the second of its existence, — more than seventy missionaries among our 
papal population at home, and thirty in papal countries abroad. Its in- 
come was not much short of £ 10,000. Some of the denominational 

F 



S8 

Societies are beginning to occupy themselves with missions among Ro- 
manists. Encouraging success has attended these efforts on all hands. 

Rome will find it difficult to contend with our free institutions, our 
free schools, our open Bible, and all the other protestant influences 
which exist among us. She may send us as many Bishops, Arch- 
bishops, and even Cardinals, as she pleases. It will require something 
more than all this to make headway against the evangelical influences 
which pervade that protestant country. As to the triumph of Roman- 
ism there, we have no fear of it ; provided our churches will do their 
duty in the way of labouring for the salvation of Roman Catholics. 
I am happy to say that our christian people are beginning to understand 
better the work they have to do in relation to Roman Catholics, and the 
spirit and manner in which it must be done, — that of kindness and love 
and perseverance.* Our ministers very generally, and often, preach to 
their people on the distinctive doctrines of Protestantism, and the great 
errors of Rome, and the mode of encountering them. On the whole, 
I do not apprehend that Romanism is likely to gain the ascendency 
with us. Its professors cannot complain of oppression in any form. 
This is a great advantage. 

Immigration. The last subject upon which I would make a few re- 
marks is Immigration. This has become a question of the greatest 
moment. From the Revolution in England in 1688 to the year 1775, 
a period of eighty-seven years, almost the only emigration from Europe to 
our shores was from the Continent,— chiefly the persecuted French and 
German Protestants, and the former during a period of only a few years. 
It was within this period that the Anglo-American population got a fair 
start. From 1775 to 1800, the immigration of foreigners was very 
limited because of the war of the Revolution and the subsequent trou- 
bles in Europe which made it difficult. During the next decade of years 
this immigration became considerable ; but in the one succeeding it was 
greatly checked by the war with England. But since 1820 it has 
steadily advanced until at present it is immense. The emigrants come 
now from every nation of Western Europe, and even from the Russian 
Empire. Not only so, Asia is beginning to send to California her thou- 
sands of Chinese, and threatens to pour upon our western shores her 
polluting heathenism, whilst Europe is sending here a vast amount of 
her worthless Christianity. 

All this is imposing upon us a great burden. As to the poverty of a 
large portion of the emigrants from the Old World, we do not think 

* Ten or fifteen years ago, when attention began to be called with, some 
degree of earnestness to the subject of Romanism, we had some men who 
distinguished themselves in their controversies, oral and written, with the 
priests. The fierce language of denunciation, of sarcasm, and ridicule, as 
well as of powerful argument, was often employed. That these men did 
some good, even much good, by awaking the mmds of our people to ex- 
amine the errors of popery, and arouse themselves to the conflict with the 
Man of Sin, cannot be denied, — though their violence was to be deplored. 
Then too we had our Maria Monks, and books of that stamp. But that era 
has very much passed away with us, and that of kindness to the Romanist, 
of deep commiseration for his errors and danger, and of prayer and appro- 
priate effort for his salvation has succeeded. 



39 

much of it ; for we can soon put them in the way of supporting them- 
selves. But they are ignorant, many of them, of our modes of sup- 
porting religion and promoting education. They have been accustomed 
— all who come from the Continent, and many of those who come from 
the British Isles, — to rely on the State for every thing that concerns 
the support of religion. It takes time, much time,— a generation or 
two in the case of those from the Continent, — to initiate them into the 
mysteries of our voluntary manner of doing every thing that relates to 
the Church. Many of them are slow to learn. "We get but little help 
from this quarter. They seek riches, and will submit to any toil and 
self-denial to gain them, but as a general thing, they do little for our 
religious institutions. The two richest men that have ever lived in 
America were natives of France and Germany. They left millions of 
dollars. And yet many an American mechanic of moderate means has 
done more for the cause of Christ among us than both of them ! It is 
somewhat different with emigrants from the British Isles, and yet even 
they do not equal our people in liberality ; but their children will. And 
this is our hope in regard to all: their children, and their children's 
children will be thorough Americans, upon whom we may rely for aid 
in every good thing. 

A large portion of the emigrants from Europe are Boman Catholics, 
Irish and Germans. A large portion are infidels, not only from Germany, 
but from other countries, as I have stated in another place. It is very 
difficult for us to provide for the spiritual wants of these people, from 
the want of the right men. Europe, owing to the low state of a 
spiritual and true protestantism in most countries, especially those of 
of the continent, sends us but few. It is absolutely easier for us to pror 
vide for the spiritual necessities of our entire native population than for 
those of the foreign. 

But we are not discouraged. "We shall meet all the difficulties which 
lie in our pathway with confidence in God, the God of our fathers, who 
has never yet deserted us, notwithstanding all our sins and our great un- 
worthiness. With His blessing, we believe that our institutions will be 
found equal to every emergency. We have a great work to do in our own 
great country, but we are not willing to confine our efforts to our own 
land. We will aid in sending the Gospel to the heathen, to the Mo- 
hammedans, to the Jews ; and we will come and help you here, in the 
Old World, to resuscitate a pure Christianity, a true protestantism, — in 
France, in Italy, in Spain, in Russia and in Ireland too. Do I say will 
come ? We have come already. For years we have been endeavouring 
to bring our churches up to this work, and not in vain. And already 
we are aiding the good work, in almost every papal nation in Europe. 
We wish to continue to do so ; we shall continue to do so, unless you deem 
us unworthy to work by your side; in that case we will retire, and 
confine our efforts to our own hemisphere, and to the heathen and the 
Mohammedans. 



A DDEESS 



ON THE 

HISTORY, PEESENT STATE, AND PROSPECTS, 

OF THE 

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE CAUSE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



1. Preliminary Remarks. 

I know not that I ever undertook a sadder task than that of making 
the present address, for it must contain some things which will be heard 
with pain by all upon whose ears it will fall. It can afflict none, how- 
ever, more than him who makes it. 

It is, perhaps, right that this duty should he performed by me ; in 
some respects there is a special propriety in my undertaking it. In 
addition to the fact that though an American, I sustain a peculiar rela- 
tion to this assembly, — for in my veins flows the blood of Scotchmen, 
Irishmen, Welchmen, Englishmen, and Germans, — I have resided so 
much in Europe, laboured so much for the cause and kingdom of Christ 
in almost all parts of it, that without losing an interest in my own coun- 
try, I feel a very deep one in all those lands which are represented in 
this meeting. If any thing, therefore, which will cause sorrow must be 
said about America, it may be fitting for me to say it. 

2. Formation of the American Branch. 

Upon their return home, the American brethren who had taken part 
in the great Alliance Meeting in London, in 1846, lost no time in call- 
ing the attention of the christian public to the subject. Several large 
and interesting meetings were held in the city of New York, at winch 
the doctrinal articles and practical resolutions were read, and statements 
made by those who had been present at the meetings in Europe. Many 
of the members put themselves to much inconvenience, at that incle- 
ment season of the year, to attend the meetings in New York, having 
to come, some of them, from Baltimore, from the interior of Pennsyl- 
vania, from Boston, from Bangor in Maine, and other distant places. 

During the Anniversaries in New York, in the month of May, 1847, 
after much consideration and discussion, the articles of the General Al- 
liance were accepted with entire unanimity, and such resolutions adopted 
as would, it was supposed, put the dreadful question which was the cause 
of so much difficulty in the meeting in London, in as acceptable a shape 
as was consistent with the maintenance of affinity with the General Al- 
liance. Auxiliaries were formed in several places, some of them of 



41 

more than common interest. Meetings for prayer, in which christians 
of all evangelical denominations united, were held. In many of the 
smaller cities and towns, meetings of ministers of all, or of most, of the 
protestant chinches began to be held, or received a fresh impulse where 
they had already existed. Many of the religious newspapers were per- 
vaded by the Alliance spirit, in a greater measure than ever before. A 
monthly magazine, called The Christian Union, which was filled with 
essays, and articles of intelligence relating to the cause, was commenced 
with the year 1848, and carried on, chiefly under my editorial manage- 
ment, for three years. It forms three large and valuable octavo volumes. 
As neither my health, nor my other duties, permitted me to be longer 
responsible for the work, it ceased at the end of the year 1850. It was 
carried on gratuitously on my part, and at a considerable loss to the ex- 
cellent publisher, Mr. Hueston, one of the sincerest friends of the Alli- 
ance cause in America ; but there is reason to believe that it did much 
good hi behalf of the object which it advocated. 

For several winters, public meetings were held in New York, from 
time to time, for prayer and exhortation in reference to the duty of 
Christian union, and were unquestionably and greatly useful. Annual 
meethigs of the Alliance have been regularly held hi that city, and the 
organization still continues. An agent was employed by that body for 
a considerable time, to visit the chinches and preach on the subject. 
There is abundant evidence that the movement has done much good. 
The brethren who attended the meetings hi London were, I am sure, 
greatly benefitted. Many have acknowledged that they were made 
better men by those blessed meetings — the memory of which will be 
ever precious. Most of those brethren still remain, but some of them, 
and among them the excellent Emory and Caldwell, have fallen asleep. 

3. The Causes which have hindered the progress of the Alliance 
Movement in the United States. 

It must be confessed, however, that though the Alliance movement 
has done some good, — even great good, — in America, enough and far 
more than enough to justify all the trouble and expense which it has oc- 
casioned, — including that of the visit of so many brethren to London in 
1846, — yet it has been, in a great degree, a failure. It has accom- 
plished but little in comparison with what was fondly hoped when it was 
projected, — and little in comparison with what it would have done, if it 
had had a fair chance. 

The brethren who were at London in 1846, returned home with 
heavy hearts. Some of them had been among the first, if they were 
not the very first, to propose the movement. They had written much 
about it ; they had prayed much for it, and over it. They had believed 
that it might accomplish four things without much difficulty. 1. Form, 
and set forth a brief statement of doctrine, a symbol of faith, hi which 
all evangelical Protestants could unite. 2. Bring together, from time to 
time, a great amoimt of valuable information respecting the state and 
progress of the kingdom of our Lord in all countries. 3. Promote the 
communion and fellowship of saints, by making christians better ac- 
quainted with each other's faith, character, and trials ; and 4. Unite all 



42 

true Protestants more perfectly in efforts to resist their old enemy, the 
" Man of Sin," in all the various forms of attack which he may choose 
to make. They had supposed that all who were members, in good 
standing, of the several evangelical branches of the one true church of 
God might be received as members of this holy alliance, with the con- 
fidence that if there were evils with which any of them were for a tune 
entangled, and which might seem, or might be under certain circum- 
stances, inconsistent with true religion, they would be better looked 
after, and more certainly removed, by the proper ecclesiastical organ- 
izations, than by such an alliance as was proposed. For the same 
reason they would have left all national and local evils to national and 
local agencies. 

Shocked as they might be, for instance, with the wine-drinking and 
brandy- drinking habits which prevailed, and do still prevail, among 
christians and even ministers of the Gospel in some countries, (and 
winch make some brethren far less worthy of confidence than many who 
are condemned perhaps even by some such, for their connexion, invo- 
luntary, and often unavoidable, for a time at least, with the great evil 
which occasions our trouble,) they were willing to believe that the sin 
of the improper use of intoxicating beverages would be removed by the 
progress of light and through the influence of kindness. They did not 
believe that the presence of unworthy members was going to prevent 
either the communion of saints, or communion with the Saviour, — for 
in that case they could probably be members of no church on earth. 

They were willing — if a second instance may be stated, — to meet in 
the proposed Alliance brethren of England, brethren of Germany, and 
brethren of other countries, who hold with the greatest earnestness that 
the union of the Church with the State is both scriptural and useful, 
although there was probably not one of those American brethren, that 
did not believe in his inmost soul, and I certainly agree with them, that 
that same union (of Church and State) is the greatest curse that has ever 
befallen Christianity, — that it has done more, a hundred-fold more, for 
fifteen centuries, to corrupt sound doctrine, to blend the world and the 
Church, to subvert the rights of conscience and of religious worship — 
and in a word, to prevent men from entering into heaven, than all the 
slavery, that has ever existed.* And yet entertaining these opinions 

* The language of the text is strong, but no stronger than the history of 
the Church, and ray own observation will warrant. It was the uniting of 
the Church with the State by Constantine, (which was not affected, how- 
ever, without encountering great opposition from some of the best men in 
the Church at that day), that laid the foundation for the Papacy, with all its 
unutterable evils in the West, as well as for the domination of the Patriarchs 
of Constantinople, much less, but still very greatly mischievous in the East. 
Nor have the evils of this union, wherever it subsists, and it subsists, alas, 
in all of them excepting the United States, been small in Protestant coun- 
tries. When I have seen, as 1 have done, how it opens the doors for simony, 
makes the way easy for worldly and even ungodly men, to enter the ministry, 
how it gives to Ministers of the dominant Church, the preeminence on all 
occasions in which they may think proper to demand it, over their dissenting 
brethren ; how it makes them treat dissenting Ministers, often with con- 
tempt, and often renders the latter servile and base in spirit, — men infinitely 
better than themselves often ; how it renders united effort on the part of 



43 

they were never guilty of the folly of refusing to meet and acknowledge 
christian brethren who approve of, and uphold that pernicious union, 
and share in its emoluments. They thought that the progress of light 
would in time enable them to do what Robert Hall pronounced to 
be very hard : namely, to see through a guinea ! It will certainly 
demand time for the emancipation of the Church from this dreadful evil; 
for did we not hear the other day, the invitation from a great Doctor, 
to appoint a committee of five brethren to go to his hospitable mansion, 
and at his expense, and there sit down and investigate the Truth on the 
subject of Religion ; and did he not intimate his belief that he could 
show that the civil magistrate has a right to interfere in the matter of 
Religion ? Although I have no ambition to be a member of the august 
Committee of Five, who may be commissioned to go to Durham, I 
should be very willing to be an humble attendant, and sit at the feet of 
this British Gamaliel — I use the expression in no derisory sense, 
for I consider Dr. Townsend to be the most learned of all English the- 
ological Doctors, — during twice five days, to hear him demonstrate that 
important proposition. 

The American brethren entertained the views which I have just 
stated, as to what should be the nature of the proposed Evangelical 
Alliance, and they hailed it with delight. Alas ! they soon began to 
have fears. A resolution adopted by our British brethren, gave notice 
of coming difficulty. Still many came to the great meeting in London, 
in 1846, hoping for the best. At the very threshold of the meeting 
they were met with a test, proposed by a National organization which 
had taken the lead in the movement, that was felt to be not very cour- 
teous, as arranging the terms of an alliance, which was expected to be 
not for Britain only, but for the world. 

members of the Established Church, (even sometimes of very good men,) 
and dissenting brethren, impossible, excepting on conditions humiliating to 
the latter, — when I have seen all these evils, and even more and greater ones 
if that be possible, how can I avoid feeling a profound abhorrence for this 
dreadful evil ? 

"But whilst I speak thus severely of the system, I trust I have the sense 
and the heart to distinguish between it, and the many excellent men who 
have been or who are involved in it, for the simple reason, that they are bet- 
ter than the system,— that they are not to be held accountable for all its evils, 
many of which they see and deeply deplore, and that there may be peculiar 
and important reasons, that lead them to remain where they are. It would be 
expecting almost too much of humanity, to hold that men so situated should 
see this subject in the light in which others do, who have regarded the ques- 
tion from other points of view, and possess better means of forming a right 
judgment respecting it. How many excellent men have belonged to the Es- 
tablished Church of England, whose names are dear to every well informed 
American Christian,— Hooker, Jeremy Taylor, Scott, Heber, Martyn, Bick- 
ersteth, and a thousand more, that must not be held responsible for the 
enormous evils of that establishment. No American ever dreams of hold- 
ing them accountable for them ; they were what they were, in spite of the 
system and its evils. There is probably not one Christian man in Eng- 
land who is more esteemed in the United States than Mr. Baptist Noel, 
and yet I am not aware that he is more esteemed now than he was when 
connected with the established Church, perhaps not quite as much so, for 
we are inclined to think that it was less easy for him then to be so good a 
man. 



44 

But even this was gotten over, and the American brethren entered 
the Alliance. The result of the long and painful discussion is but too 
well known. The American brethren returned to their country, as I 
have said, with a heavy heart. That happened which they had feared : 
it was impossible to make the movement successful among us. Very 
few of even those who had previously been decidedly favourable to 
it, would take any part in it. Other causes,* I know, existed, which 
hindered, but this was the most fatal, as it was by far the most insur- 
mountable. 

The restriction was felt to be unjust, inasmuch as it was certain to 
operate cruelly upon many of the very persons in the slave-holding 
States who most need, as they most deserve, the sympathy and the suc- 
cour which Christian union can give. For whilst there are forms of 
this great evil which no man, at least none that has the light that we 
have, or think we have, — can hesitate to pronounce to be sinful, in 
such a sense as to be utterly inconsistent with true religion, or any 
religion winch requires justice to our fellow-men : as, for instance, where 
it is voluntary, mercenary, and not from the fixed purpose of securing 
the highest good to the slave, heartless and cruel, — there are many cases 
where the relation is far otherwise, from the state of the laws, from 
the position of the master, or the age and condition of the slave. All 
this was felt, because understood, by many of the best men in America, 
and they stood aloof from our Alliance. Besides, the whole affair had 
an unfavourable aspect. There was an appearance of foreign dictation. 
I say, appearance, for I know that the intention will be disclaimed, and 
justly so. And it came from the very last quarter, — I mean from Eng- 
land, — from which, for obvious reasons, no thing of an unacceptable 
nature should come to us, if good is to be done. The wounds which 
two severe and almost fratricidal wars, — and the more severe and bit- 
ter, because fratricidal, — had occasioned, have not been long enough 
healed to admit of any thing but extreme prudence, especially when 
regarded in connexion with another element of hostile and dangerous 
influence, to which I shall allude presently. 

* My esteemed friend, the Rev. Dr. Wilson, of Cincinnati, whilst he 
agrees with me in the opinion that the subject of Slavery ought not to have 
been introduced into the Alliance at all, as a term of membership, thinks 
that I have not attributed sufficient importance to another cause of the com- 
parative failure of our efforts in America : namely, the spirit of sectarianism. 
It is natural that he should take this view, for he has certainly seen and 
felt enough of the evils of that spirit, and combatted them too. Belonging, 
as he does, to one of the smaller Presbyterian Churches, all of them of 
Scottish origin, which, with ail their excellencies have been more exclusive, 
as it relates to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, than any other churches 
among us, with the exception of the Baptists, and withal have been much 
troubled by divisions within the last few years, he has certainly had much 
reason to deplore the spirit of sectarianism. But great as that evil is, it is 
not so great as he deems it to be. It may prevent the sundered parts of 
the same church or denomination from acting together for a while, but it 
does not prevent these same parts from acting with the other churches or 
communions, at least not to any great extent, so far as my observation 
has gone ; and I certainly have had good opportunities for observing, these 
last twenty-two years, for my work has brought me more or less into contact 
with nearly every evangelical branch of the Church of Christ in America. 



45 

The result was, as lias been stated, in many respects a deplorable 
failure. I say deplorable, not because we have needed hi America, in 
any tiling like a pressing degree, such an alliance for ourselves, or rather 
for the benefit of our churches. There is no country in Christendom 
where there is less need of it. Our several Evangelical churches dwell 
together in a harmony, for which we cannot be too grateful. All placed 
on the same footing before the government and the laws, all protected, 
and well protected by those laws, and truly respected by that govern- 
ment, there can be no invidious distinctions between them. No State 
Church overshadows and depresses the others, for none has the prestige, 
or the influence of the " Powers that be," to sustain it. We all are 
equal in this respect, and know nothing of the assumptions, the jea- 
lousies, the heart-burnings which exist in some other countries. 

Deus nobis hcec otia fecit, 
And to him be the glory and the praise. 

The dangers which threaten both England and America. 

But we do deplore the failure on another account, which concerns 
many of those who hear me as much as ourselves. We deplore it, be- 
cause we foresee days of evil ; nor are they very far distant. It cannot 
be disguised that the very attempt which we have made to bring the 
churches of America and of Europe, especially those of Britain, into 
more friendly and fraternal relations, has ended in putting them further 
asunder ! You have been told that it would hasten the overthrow of the 
dreadful evil among us, if you would put us out of the pale of your chris- 
tian fellowship ; you have been told what amounts to this, — and you 
have believed those who have told you so, notwithstanding the remon- 
strances and the tears even, of brethren who are worthy of your con- 
fidence, from their characters, their antecedents, and their position. 
You have preferred to believe another class of witnesses. — As to the 
questions : Who they are, and what they are ? I shall say nothing. You 
have believed them ; but you have been deceived. You might have 
known us, by knowing yourselves. And this knowledge would certainly 
have taught you, that very much that has been done, and still more 
what has been said, is any thing else than likely to accomplish that great 
object. Oh, no ! The language of taunt and of ridicule and of indis- 
criminate abuse may wound the hearts of christian men among us, who 
love their country, and with good reason, notwithstanding its faults ; 
but it will be hurled back with unmeasured scorn, if they deign to no- 
tice it, by more than three thousand secular presses. " Let America 
wash out of her skirts the stain of slavery, and then she will be fit to 
join the churches of Britain in their noble efforts to give the Gospel to 
the world.' 5 Such was the language a few years ago, of one whom we 
have greatly loved in America, and whom we would love more, if he 
would permit us. Would you know how that language was received in 
America, by the overwhelming majority of those who read it ? Shall 
I tell you a few things which were said ? Here you have a specimen : 
" Indeed ! And is England immaculate ? How long is it since she 
washed out the deep sin of slave-holding and slave-trading from her 
own skirts? And do these airs indicate that depth of repentance, 

G 



46 

which sixch a long career of wickedness demands ? Has she no sins in 
relation to Ireland, India, China, and the aborigines of Van Dieman's 
Land, yet to be washed away ? And must our American churches wait 
till their country be rid of slavery before they shall be fit to co-operate 
with British christians in spreading the Gospel throughout the world ? 
Thanks be to God, He does not thus judge of us. With all our sins 
and great unworthiness, He deigns to bless the efforts of our churches 
to send the Gospel even to India, to the Aborigines, to the Islands of the 
sea, to Mohammedan lands. Are England's missionaries better men, or 
more successful than our own, Englishmen themselves being judges ?"* 
How often have I heard such remarks in reply to such language as that 
which I have quoted. Alas, if the robes of us all are not washed in 
the blood of the Lamb, what will become of us ? But I will say no 
more on this point, for I would not fall into the commission of the 
grievous faidt which I am condemning. 

Let British christians pursue their great work of getting every thing 
right in their own vast dominion, and we will do the same in our great 
country : and may God crown those who come out foremost in this 
race ! We apprehend that when you have gotten through, we shall not 
be far behind you. Yes, we will abolish this great evil, but we must 
be allowed to take such time and employ such measures as we deem 
best. We believe that we understand this matter better than you do — 
I speak it with all deference. We shall get clear of Slavery, but not 
at, or in consequence of your bidding, or to please you. We shall get 
clear of it, because the spirit of Christianity demands it ; and because 
the very spirit of our political institutions, and the honour of our country 
demand it. You placed the coat of Nessus on the young limbs of our 
nation. It was not republicanism, nor the voluntary principle that 
imposed that greatest of evils upon us. Monarchy introduced it, im- 
posed it, nurtured it for 155 years; and if the Church did not do her 
duty, — though she did much, — at the time when the evil was young 
and small, and comparatively feeble, it was when ten out of our thirteen 
Colonies were enjoying the blessings, as some call them, of an Es- 
tablished Church, — Episcopacy in the South, Congregationalism in the 
North — the former for 150 years, the latter considerably longer. Do 

* The language which I used in the Alliance was different from that 
given above. I prefer not, upon revising my notes, to repeat it. I there- 
fore give other language, which I have often heard and seen, and which will 
quite as well illustrate my position, that severe language on one side will 
call forth just as severe on the other. A distinguished London minister, at 
the Annual Meeting of the British and Foreign Anti-slavery Society, holds 
up to ridicule the placing of Mr. Powers' Greek Slave in the Crystal Palace, 
and pronounces it a sign of infatuation on the part of the Americans — though 
not half a dozen of them, probably, had any thing to do with the act. 
Well, what is said in America, by way of offset, in a newspaper which has 
40,000 subscribers, and whose editor is anything else than a friend to Slavery 
or the South ? " And there is the Great Diamond," (the writer, who was 
the editor himself, if I remember rightly, was describing the Crystal Palace), 
" the Koh-i-noor, what is it placed in the Great Exhibition for ? Is it a 
British Manufacture? Has it not rather been placed there, through infatua- 
tion, and as an exponent of the most prominent traits of Britain's national 
character — Ambition and Rapacity?" 



47 

not, I beg of you, send us such missionaries as one that lately visited 
us, and who deceives himself, or rather tries to deceive his constituents, 
by telling them that his speeches made in this city, since his return, will 
make a sensation in America, — from Maine to California! Yes, a 
sensation they may make, but it will be the double one of laughter and 
contempt. Nevertheless, if you have another John Joseph Gurney 
among you, let him come; he will be heard every where with pleasure ; 
for whilst he " reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and a judgment 
to come," he was heard with attention by all, for he was both a christian 
and a gentleman.* 

No, dear brethren, the course which things have been taking for the 
last few years, bodes any thing else than good. The unnecessary allu- 
sions to American slavery, and the sweeping charges against the 
American churches, winch one now hears in almost every public meeting 
in Exeter Hall and elsewhere in this city, are working out their legi- 
timate results — not of hastening the overthrow of tins great 'evil in 
America, but of severing the bonds which hold two great nations 
together. What do we see already ? A few Americans in this meeting, 
and most of them spectators of your proceedings, not members of our 
Alliance. " Why is it," said a brother of this city, now before me, 
well known and greatly beloved in America, — " How is it, that, out of 
so many American ministers now in Europe, so few of them are here, 
or have even called upon us." That is a serious inquiry. I would 
prefer to leave it unanswered, but I cannot. 

It can be expressed in few words. — " I am tired," said one of the 
best of the American brethren now in this city to me, yesterday, " of 
going to public meetings in this city, and of being insulted by being 
made to hear my country, its churches, and its ministry abused, in cir- 
cumstances where reply is impossible." Another said to me, — " I was 
at the public meetings in Exeter Hall, last May, and I did not attend 
one in which some insulting remark was not made about the United 
States. Even at the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Tract 
Society, the Sunday School Society — at all, something of the sort 
occurred ; and the presence of an American was sure to be the signal 
for some speaker, ambitious of catching the applause of a London 
audience, even if it could only be by the clap-trap of making a fling at 
American Slavery or something else in that country and its insti- 
tutions?" What effect can all this have upon any American who has 
any respect for his country ? That there are Americans upon whose 
feelings such insulting remarks would have no effect, I have no doubt is 
true ; but their number is not great. 

The result will soon be, that you will not be troubled with the 
presence of American ministers and other christians at your public 
meetings, or any where else. Indeed tins is beginning to be the case 
already. They will come to England, visit the chief places of interest, 
your glorious " Exhibition" among other things, whilst it lasts, hear some 
of your preachers on the Sabbath, but call upon few or none of you. 

* His published letters to Mr. Clay were read with interest both in the 
South and North. 



48 

They will visit the tombs of their fathers, wherever they may be in your 
realm, but not feeling at home here, they will go over to the Continent, 
where they will find less that will wound their feelings. 

Let this state of things continue to grow worse and worse, as it cer- 
tainly is doing, and the result cannot but be disastrous in the end. It 
will alienate the religious people of both countries. They will cease to 
feel that interest winch each country ought to feel in the welfare 
of the other. And then, how great the danger if some serious mis- 
understanding should occur between the governments of the two coun- 
tries ? And how soon such a misunderstanding may take place none of 
us can tell. It may opcur at any moment. The state of the world is 
very critical. The omens are not propitious in the East. Nor is the 
West entirely clear. There is the affair of Nicaragua, which may give 
trouble before all is over. And what may grow out of the Cuban affairs, 
none of us can foresee. We may soon fall upon times which will de- 
mand all the prayers and the efforts of the righteous in both countries 
to maintain peace between them. 

But there is another element of disturbance whose influence we must 
not disregard. There have gone from the Old World to the United 
States, within ten years, at least two millions of emigrants. More than 
a million and a quarter have gone since the Alliance Meeting in 1846. 
Last year there went 315,000, and this year it is expected the number 
will reach half a million. There had come to New York nearly 150,000 
persons between the first of January and the first of July — almost 
1000 per day. Who are these people ? Mostly Irish Koman Catholics 
and Germans. Poverty takes many of them to the United States ; op- 
pression drives others. Do you think that these people cherish in their 
hearts much love for the countries which they are leaving ? If you do, 
you are mistaken. The number of such people is increasing at a fearful 
rate, and their influence is be ginnin g to be felt. Many of the most 
turbulent and restless people of the Continent — socialists, radicals, in- 
fidels, — the very sweepings of Europe, — are going to the New World. 
Is there no danger in all this for the peace of Britain and the United 
States ? Some of the most dangerous newspapers in the United States 
are edited by foreigners. The paper that has probably the most in- 
fluence over the masses in New York is edited by a Scotchman, — who 
has no love to England, That paper has a circulation of 60,000 copies, 
and is for the sphere which it aims at filling, conducted with wonderful 
tact. Its hostility to England is undisguised. And there are other pa- 
pers just as dangerous. Some of these papers have laid hold for the last 
five years, of every thing which they could turn to account in stirring 
up enmity, — the Oregon affair, the Nicaragua question, and the Cuban 
movement all have been seized hold of with the view of making diffi- 
culty. It required all the wisdom and decision of Lord Ashburton and 
Mr. Webster to arrange the North-east boundary question; and it may 
task the great abilities and good feelings of Mr. Webster and Sir H. 
Bulwer to the utmost, to carry the nations well through the questions 
which will soon press upon their attention. 

Is it a time, then, for the alienation of the christians of the two 
countries ? Certainly not. Ferhaps you may think that you can do 



49 

without us. — If so, I have to say that we cau do without you. (No, you 
cannot, said the chairman, Sir Culling Eardley.) But we can do with- 
out you, as well as you can do without us. (Yes, but neither can do 
without the other, replied Sir Culling). That is true, — neither can do 
without the other. We need your help in the work of promoting re- 
ligion among us, by your raising up good men to labour among the 
hundreds of thousands of poor Irish Komanists who are coming to us ? 
and for whose spiritual instruction we have so few suitable laboiirers. 
You can help us, help us in many ways; and we too can help you in 
return. 

But enough. I have felt it to be my duty to give you the brief state- 
ment which I have done in relation to the American Branch of the 
Alliance, its very partial success, the causes of its comparative failure, 
and to seize the occasion to express earnestly my apprehensions of the 
dangers which are likely to grow out of the increasing alienation between 
the christians of the two countries, which is but too manifest. I have 
spoken to you with much plainness, but with no unkindness of feeling. 
No Englishman, no Irishman, no Scotchman, ever visited my house 
during my long residence in Paris and Geneva, without receiving all the 
hospitality that I could show him. No Frenchman, or Swiss, or Ger- 
man, or inhabitant of any part of the Continent has ever applied to me 
in person or by letter for any help or favour, since my return to America, 
without my doing all I could in the case. These sixteen years and 
more, a great deal of my time has been taken up, and at great incon- 
venience to myself and my family, in serving people of Europe in many 
ways. I cannot be charged with being influenced by unkind feelings in 
putting before you, will all fidelity, the facts and views which I have 
stated. I have owed it to my name as an American and to my origin, 
not to hesitate for a moment to tell you these things. I have attempted 
to do my duty, to acquit my conscience. I fear that a chasm is opening 
before us, and I have felt it my duty to warn you of it. Perhaps I 
have only been acting the part of Cassandra ; — be it so, I cannot 
help it. 



EEMAEKS. 



The preceding Address contains substantially what I said to the 
Alliance on the 22d of August. The subject was referred, as is well 
known, for consideration, at the suggestion, I believe, and motion of the 
Rev. Messrs. Noel and James, to the Council of the Alliance, with the 
understanding that the American brethren present were to be invited to 
attend and give their views. This was done in two sessions of several 
hours ; the first on Saturday, the 23rd, and the second on Tuesday, the 
26th of that month. The result was the bringing in of a report and 
resolution subjoined,* which the Alliance adopted near the close of its 
sessions. 

In the meetings of the Council, just referred to, the Rev. Dr. Bacon 
spoke fully on the whole subject, and confirmed in the strongest manner 
the position winch I had previously taken, (and which all the Americans 
with a solitary exception, held and maintained at the General Conference, 
in 1846), on the injustice of confounding in one sweeping restriction the 
worthy and the unworthy of those American brethren, who are so un- 
fortunate as to be implicated in the holding of men in bondage. We 
both gave cases in which the state of things is made such by the laws of 
the Slave-holding States,- — laws which the Christians in those States, 
who are a small minority of the inhabitants, could not prevent being 
made, — that there are persons holding slaves there, whom Christianity 
itself would not allow them to liberate in the present circumstances. 

* The following Report of the Council of the Alliance on the subject of 
slavery was unanimously adopted : — " The Councifreport that they have had 
much friendly conference with their American brethren, in which frank and 
courteous explanations have been mutually given, which have shown how 
important it is for christians residing on opposite shores of the Atlantic to 
have a clear understanding of each other's position, and to assist each other 
in discouraging national jealousies, and in promoting the interests of hu- 
manity and religion ; that the American brethren have made no request that 
the British Organization should not still adhere to its constitution as origi- 
nally settled ; and that the Council are also satisfied that no alteration should 
be made in it. At the same time the Council recommend that in the inter- 
com's ebetween the christians of the two countries all uncharitable actions 
and expressions be avoided ; and they desire to encourage their brethren 
from the United States to renew their efforts to revive the organization of 
the Evangelical Alliance existing there, in accordance with the resolution 
of the conference of 1846, in the confidence that, by the Divine blessing, 
the difficulties which have hitherto obstructed their progress will, in answer 
to prayer, and under the influence of their united wisdom and charity, 
gradually give way until they are altogether removed." 



51 

Dr. Bacon stated several cases of this sort — cases in which, he affirmed, 
no man in his senses, could possibly assert that a man could not he 
a Slave-holder and yet he a Christian ; and, therefore, the adoption of a 
rule to exclude all Slave-holders, without distinction, was as unjust as it 
was unwise. It was such a rule as no man in England would have 
thought of introducing twenty years ago. They had agreed to come 
together in that Alliance, Baptist and Psedo-haptist, Calvinist and Armi- 
nian, Churchman and Dissenter ; hut they had brought in a new test, 
which they knew would be confined in its operation to America, and in 
his opinion on a subject upon which they were not capable of judging 
rightly, because they could not judge with discrimination. 

As to the effect of this course upon the Alliance cause in America, Dr. 
Bacon said that he had no hesitation, inasmuch as he had been referred 
to, in declaring that the moment he read the proceedings of the preli- 
minary meeting in England, in which it was decided that Slave-holders 
should not be allowed to be members of the General Conference in 
1846, he determined to have nothing to do with the matter.* He 
further said that if the question had been proposed to him, when he en- 
tered the meeting on the present occasion, whether he was a Slave-holder, 
he would not have set his foot in it. He would submit to no such test 
as that, although he had no hesitation in expressing to the persons 
present, or to the whole world, his abhorrence of Slavery. He said 
that his opinions on this subject were well known in America."}- 

* And if such, was the effect on Dr. Eacon's mind, who was, I firmly 
believe, the first to propose the holding such a General Conference — for he 
named it to Dr. Paton of New York, and myself, in the autumn of 1843, and 
engaged us to write, the one to the Rev. J. A. James, of Birmingham, and 
the other to Dr. Merle d'Aubigne, in order to induce them to bring the 
proposition forward, which they did the year following, — what was likely 
to be its influence upon other men in America. It alienated very many at 
the outset, as I have occasion to know full well. 

f Dr. Bacon expressed without doubt, the feelings which predominate 
in the bosoms of Americans. It was painfully illustrated in the case cf 
one of them, at the recent meeting of the British Alliance, an excellent 
young minister of Christ, who, supposing that the meeting would be open 
to all Christians, according to the invitation which had been published so 
extensively in Europe, a few weeks previously, in English, German, and 
French, came from Paris to London expressly to attend it. When he pre- 
sented himself at the door, and gave his name and place of residence, 
(which is in one of the Southern States) he was asked whether he was a Slave- 
holder ? His reply was : " Is that a test question, upon the answer to which 
my admission is to depend ?" He was told that it was^ He then said, " I 
will not answer it," and retired ; and yet this minister of the gospel has 
never had any thing to do with Slavery, and is strongly opposed to it. He 
did not seek admission to the meetings on any other ground than that on 
which others had been received ; — the general invitation that had been 
given. He did not ask to become a member of the British Alliance ; all 
he wished was to attend the meetings — just as did eighteen Americans, none 
of whom, excepting two or three, took any part in the proceedings whatever, 
and they only in the same way that brethren from the Continent did. AN hen 
afterwards offered a ticket for the Gallery, he declined taking it ; saying that 
he preferred not to attend at all, if he could not attend as the brethren from 
America and other countries did. 

The same day he wrote to one of the most influential officers of the 
British Alliance, and informed him of what had happened. In answer 



52 

On one other point Dr. Bacon spoke very plainly, in confirmation of 
what I had said in the Alliance, respecting the folly of making the 
sweeping and mth'scriminate charges which are so often heard in England, 
and even from men who profess to he christians, against the people of 
the United States, their churches, their ministers, and members of their 
churches ; and said, that the effect was to produce great exasperation, 
and cause the utter rejection of all interference in the matter, as being 
a subject which concernes ourselves, and not foreigners. In these 
views, Dr. B. apprehended that there was no substantial difference among 
the Americans present. 

These sentiments Dr. Bacon greatly desired to express in the Alliance, 
but no suitable occasion offered for his doing so, and therefore I deem it 
proper to produce them here. 

I will add that either Dr. Bacon or some other American stated one 
tiling at one of the meetings winch greatly surprised me ; for I had not 
supposed that there were men base enough hi America to do any thing 
jf the sort. It was in effect, that there are men of a certain class in 
that country, who considering themselves the Simons-pure, the veritable 
standards in all that relates to proper feeling and action on the subject 
of American slavery, and believing they have a right to denounce and, I 

he was told, that when the general invitation was given to all who ac- 
cept the one and only sacrifice and mediation of Christ, etc., brethren from 
the Continent were contemplated and not Americans, otherwise, something 
would have been said about Slavery. 

It would seem from this that American christians, should any of them 
be in England at the time of the annual meetings of the British Alliance, 
are not to attend those meetings as friends and brethren — a totally different 
thing from becoming members of it, which no American would dream of 
asking — without first submitting to a test, in relation to Slavery, at the 
door — much after the fashion that the Rev. Dr. Chickering was treated at 
the recent meeting of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. 
If this be so, it is well that they should know it. I will be responsible 
for it, that not many of them will ever trouble a meeting of the British 
Alliance with their presence. Indeed the words which were employed in 
the announcement of the character that the recent annual meeting of the 
British Alliance was to take this year, that " America would be represented, 
if desired," — or words to that effect, — seemed so extraordinary that Dr. 
Robinson, Dr. Alexander, and others, hesitated very much about attending 
even the few times they did. I will only add that if all this has occurred 
of design, and not through inadvertence, it will not be worth while, in my 
humble opinion, for the Council of the British Branch to send a Delegation 
to America with a resolution in their hands relating to Slavery or any other 
subject. If the British christians choose to exclude slave-holders from mem- 
bership in their Branch of the Alliance, they certainly may do so ; but to re- 
quire a test of this sort from American brethren who desire to attend their 
meetings, when it falls in their way to do it, is quite another thing. Sup- 
pose that the Americans, on their part, should resolve to exclude, not only 
from membership in their Branch, but even from its meetings, all brethren, 
come from what quarter they may, who have any connexion with a church 
established and sustained by the State, or who are not members of the Tem- 
perance Society ! What would be said to that ? Such a rule might possibly 
apply to some of the members of the proposed committee, just referred to. 
I do not say that they will ever be guilty of such folly, — but no one can 
tell ; there were more than one man among those who were present at the 
recent meeting in London, that are quite ready for the measure. 



53 

fear, execrate all who do not approve of their modes of speaking and 
acting on this question, take upon themselves to write over to certain 
persons in England to incite them to pursue, without relaxation, every 
American mmister and other christian who comes to those shores, and 
hold him up to scorn, if he does not belong to their fraternity, or sym- 
bolize with their ophiions, and their measures ! Who these gentlemen 
are was not stated, nor do I desire to know. I am sorry to hear that 
there are such men hi America.* I suppose, however, that they ap - 



* It is to the same source that the British public are indebted, it is pro- 
bable, for notices of all instances of cruelty on the part of slave-holders that 
occur from time to time. And so effectually has this species of communica- 
tion been prosecuted, that many people in England seem really to believe 
that every slave-holder has a pack of bloodhounds to hunt runaway negroes, 
and feeds those poor people on cotton-seed ! It is also probable that these 
same correspondents have furnished the garbled extracts from sermons which 
some of our distinguished pastors thought it to be their duty to preach re- 
cently in relation to the necessity of maintaining the laws,— extracts which, 
taken out of their proper connexion, do the authors great injustice. Who 
that knows Dr. Spring, for instance, can ever believe that he uttered the 
bold and unqualified sentence, that ' if one prayer of his could liberate all the 
slaves in the world, he should not feel at liberty to offer it ?' 

As to the pastors referred to, some of them rank among the greatest and 
best of our preachers, and it is not likely they would have preached those 
discourses unless they had good reason to believe them necessary. There is 
not one of them, I venture to say, that approves of the Fugitive Slave Law 
passed last year by Congress, and passed, too, with extreme difficulty, and 
only under the belief that nothing short of such a measure could save the 
Union from disruption, and the country from the horrors of civil war. The 
law itself is odious in the North, and no christian man will willingly aid in 
its execution ; nor will he obstruct its execution, if he has proper -views of 
his duty to the government. If the law is bad, let it be changed, or repealed, 
in a constitutional way. It was a re-enactment of one made during the 
presidency of General Washington, and was provided for by the constitution 
itself. The recent law is more stringent in its measures than the old, and 
makes provision for its enforcement by the officers of the United States' 
Government, — a measure rendered necessary, in the opinion of the authors 
of it, by the action of several of the States, which had forbidden their officers 
to act in such cases, and their prisons to be used for the guarding of arrested 
slaves. Such was the opposition to this new law, — a fact that shows how 
great is the abhorrence of slavery in the non-slave-holding States, — that there 
was danger of its execution being defeated by lawless violence in many 
cities. It was on the duty of sustaining the laws, as long as they are laws,— 
in other words, of maintaining lawful government,— that these sermons 
were preached ; and it does not become those who are for ever reproaching 
the United States for the occasional doings of " Judge Lynch," to condemn 
ministers of the gospel for endeavouring to repress such tendencies. 

The time, too, was eminently critical. The people of the South were 
extremely discontented. They had, in reality, lost every thing in relation 
to the territory obtained from Mexico as the result of the late war ; and this 
widely-detested Fugitive Slave Law was the only thing they gained in the 
several measures of compromise that were adopted ! Upon the enforcement 
of this law, at least for the present, the peace of the country seemed to de- 
pend. That it will soon become a dead letter, as the former one was for 
many years, is certain. The South will insist upon its fulfilment, as a test, 
for a while ; but it must soon fall into neglect. They will soon find it a 
very costly business to enforce this law — more so than they will be willing 
to endure. Experience will teach them, too, that it is a dangerous thing to 
bring back a fugitive slave ; for his visit to the North, and sojourn there, 

H 



54 

pertain to that notable Society of Abolitionists with wliom the Mission- 
ary-Senator of England sympathized and laboured when he was with us, 

however brief, will have taught him many things. Indeed, this matter is 
well understood in the South. Of the thousands of fugitive slaves, under 
the old law, very few were ever reclaimed. 

There is no danger that many persons wHl be called to suffer under the 
new law. There will be a few cases, for a short period, and that is about 
all there will be of it. And even in these, the return of the slave to hope- 
less bondage, in nine cases out of ten, may be prevented by hi% freedom 
being purchased on the spot, or soon afterwards. There are people enough 
that are ready to do this, — not, perhaps, the abolitionists of the school of 
Messrs. Garrison and Co., for these gentlemen would prefer to send them 
over to England, to furnish " capital" for augmenting the hatred of America, 
and to give, I must say it, an opportunity to the English to manifest an un- 
necessary benevolence, — in other words, to be cajoled, — a privilege which 
they may often have, if they continue to be desirous of it. As to the ne- 
cessity of any pious slave, whether he be a minister of the gospel or not, 
flying to England in order to obtain his freedom, I do not believe that a case 
has often, if ever, occurred. 1 he freedom of such men would soon be pur- 
chased, if the case was made known in the North, if not in the South. A 
few years ago, the Presbyterian Synod of Alabama purchased, by collections 
made in all their churches, arvery talented and pious slave and his wife and 
five or six children, educated him well, and he is now pastor of a Presbyterian 
Church in Liberia, whither he went with his family, not of compulsion, but 
of choice. Nobody thought it necessary for that man to run away to 
England. 

But it would seem that the trade of enlightening the people of England 
on the subject of American slavery, and participation in the profits of that 
trade, are not to be confined to fugitive slaves, as has hitherto been the 
case ; for a gentleman has recently arrived in England from America with 
an immense quantity of anti-slavery publications, with the view of giving a 
course of public lectures in all places where he may find encouragement ; so 
that it may be said that the campaign is fairly opened. It would seem, too, 
that he has taken pains to qualify himself well for the task. A native of 
England, he has been a preacher of the gospel in America, mostly in the 
north-western States, for twelve or fourteen years. A year or two ago, he 
went into one of the slave-holding States, and commenced an anti-slavery 
movement. Instead of preaching in public to both masters and slaves on 
their relative and reciprocal duties, and of saying almost what he pleased to 
the former in private, — as any other man, if possessed of common sense, in 
the actual state of things, would have done, — he soon began to denounce 
both slavery and slave-holders in the severest and most irritating terms. He 
was remonstrated with by good men, who told him that his course was un- 
wise ; that it was such as would not be tolerated ; and that it was especially 
calculated to give offence, as coming from a foreigner and Englishman. 
But all was in vain. He soon was compelled to leave, — a result which he 
probably expected, and even wished for, if one may judge from his conduct, 
— and has come to England to receive the honour and advantage of his mar- 
tyrdom. No doubt he will find it a profitable speculation ; and if so he will 
have followers and imitators enough. 

I do not give the name of this gentleman, but he will recognise himself 
(and others will, also, it is probable) from the foregoing notice of him ; but 
if he should be at a loss about the matter, I will further say that he is the 
man who, in the Peace Convention, a few weeks ago, in Exeter Hall, de- 
scended from the platform, and with a smile advanced among the people, 
and spoke to an American minister from one of the southern States, but 
who has never owned a slave, and has no sympathy with slavery, that had 
a short time before crossed the Atlantic with him. Upon his return to the 
platform, he told the editor of one of the religious papers of London — which, 
the courtesies of civilized life forbid me to mention— that there was such a 



55 

and winch he says, lias absorbed all the real abolition feeling and action 
of the country, so much so that the Anti-slavery Society of New York, 

person present. This led the latter to say, in his journal, a few days after, 
when speaking of an address made by a coloured man on the occasion, " that 
he did not envy the feelings of an American minister who was present," or 
words to that effect, — a fair specimen of the " flings" against Americans 
which certain London writers take delight in, when they have a chance, 
and which was as gratuitous and useless as it was unworthy of the distin- 
guished reputation which he enjoys. 

But what good is all this to do ? How will it help to overthrow slavery 
in America ? " Oh, it will place a stigma upon it — -it will make an impres- 
sion." Yes, it will make an impression ; and so will the firing a pistol at 
the rock of Gibraltar, if one stand near enough, and if not an impression 
will be made on the air ! But what sort of an impression ? The simple truth 
is, these people over-rate their importance and their influence, especially so 
far as America is concerned. Above all, in their profound ignorance of 
human nature, they forget that it is possible to attempt to do good in such 
a manner, and in such a spirit, as will, in the long run, accomplish far more 
evil than good. 

I am well aware, also, that, besides the impulse which their own vanity 
gives to such efforts, these gentlemen are encouraged to do this by a party in 
the northern States of America, who claim to possess all the real anti-slavery 
feeling in the country, and especially by those who seek that consideration 
and encouragement abroad which their own rash, extravagant, and denun- 
ciatory course has caused them to lose at home. This sort of game has been 
now playing a considerable time. On the one hand, the gentlemen referred 
to furnish the proper quantity of new and old tales of injustice and oppres- 
sion that may form a sufficient basis for an attack upon American christians, 
American churches, and American institutions ; on the other, their friends 
and coadjutors on this side of the ocean take care that every thing shall be 
turned to account. But what does all this accomplish ? Beyond the exas- 
peration and alienation of Americans who love their country — nothing at all. 
How could it ? 

It is now nearly twenty years since the set of men who are, according to 
the British senator who has recently returned from his missionary tour in 
the non-slave-holding States, the only men who deserve to be called the 
enemies of slavery in America, and who have nearly ruined every cause 
they have ever touched, began their work ; and what have they accom- 
plished ? No good whatever, so far as I can see. They did not prevent the 
annexation of Texas, nor the Mexican war (on the contrary, their infatuated 
course contributed to hasten both) ; and if slavery does not gain a foothold 
in the territories obtained from Mexico at the close of the war, no thanks to 
them for it ; for it has been the discovery of the gold mines in California, 
and the fact that neither the soil nor the wishes of the inhabitants will 
admit slavery into the Territories of New Mexico and Utah, that will exclude 
slavery from those regions. There is even less possibility of carrying the 
** Wilmot Proviso" through Congress than there was four years ago. The 
extravagant course of these men has even hindered the movements which 
good men in Kentucky, and some other southern States, had hopes of being- 
able to make successful. In fact, I often fear that there is really less sound 
and effective anti-slavery feeling in both North and South than there was 
in 1819, when the " Missouri Question" so agitated the country, and when 
these modern apostles of abolition had not began to be heard of. And I 
have little hope that much will be done, leading to direct and open action, 
on this subject, until a few years shall have passed away, and these men 
fall into the insignificance and oblivion to which they must come at last. 
Other men, who have been deterred from taking hold of the cause by reason 
of the odium and opposition which they have created, will then come for- 
ward. I would not be understood as confounding with the "Garrison 
School" the good men and true who are in the Anti-Slavery Society. 



56 

which he pronounces a mere sham, has entirely disappeared ! If this 
he true, I am sorry for it ; for certainly there were many excellent 
men in the Society which has disappeared, and if there now he nothing 
in the shape of Anti- slavery movement in America, hut that of which 
Mr. Garrison and his friends are the leaders, not much good can be 
augured from it. 

I have often asked these gentlemen what they expect to gain by ar- 
raying the feelings of the people of England, or even of the whole 
world, if that were possible, against America, and her churches and 
ministers. Their answer has ever been: " it will help greatly to 
overthrow slavery in that country, to have the indignation of England 
and of the world, brought to bear upon the country which tolerates it. 5 ' 
But it is strange that it does not occur to those gentlemen, as Dr. Bacon 
rightly remarked, that this course, whilst it may gratify a few, provokes 
the indignation of the nation. How can any man in Ms reason believe, 
that to call, as the British Senator did in his recent speech to his con- 
stituents, the American christians "hypocrites and Mars," and other names 
worthy of Billingsgate, can have any other effect than to excite their 
contempt, and call forth their scorn ? This is the effect at the North 
as well as the South. The simple truth is, these gentlemen display an 
amazing ignorance of human nature in this whole business. No pos- 
sible amount of pressure from without, of this description, can do any 
thing else than hinder the work of emancipating the slave. The thing 
is absurd. Our Southern people repel the interference of our own 
people of the Northern States ; and both the North and the South will 
repel, and do repel, all such interference from abroad.* Even if such 
a course of agitation abroad could by any possibility carry the people of 

* It would really seem as if there was a determination on the part of 
those who are labouring to bring about this state of things (through a real 
" judicial infatuation"), to do the very things which they ought not. In the 
fierceness of their hatred of all those who will not symbolize with them in 
their views and measures, th^y would have them excluded from the hospi- 
tality and confidence of British christians, especially of those who are the 
anti-slavery people, par excellence. They would, in this way, render it im- 
possible for British friends, even the most zealous of them, to endeavour to 
enlighten and stimulate, by kind and christian conversation on the subject, 
those of their poor benighted American brethren that may be found not 
sufficiently awake to the evils and disgrace of slavery in their native land. 

And our British Anti-Slavery friends, in order to "go ahead" of their 
American friends, in this career of folly, have resolved to treat all American 
Slave-holders that venture to come to them — although it is certain that at 
least in nine cases out of ten those of this class who may desire to make 
their acquaintance, would be serious and conscientious men, who wish to 
know and do their duty, and therefore just the men most likely to be pro- 
fited by right treatment, — as "heathen men" and "publicans." They 
will exclude them from their pulpits and their communion-tables, sans 
ceremonie; without taking the trouble to know whether there may or may 
not be, circumstances which may justify the present relation of master 
which they may sustain, to people whom the law places in the condition of 
bondsmen to them. This is truly wonderful. 

The proceedings at the late meeting of the Congregational Union of 
England and Wales, in relation to the Rev. Dr. Chickering, were an illus- 
tration of the same spirit, and will produce similar results. I am happy to 
khow that they are disapproved of by many excellent men in that body. 



57 

the North in one unanimous movement of abhorrence not only of 
Slavery but of the Southern people, (for this blind and ^discriminating 
feeling would have that character if it were to triumph), what would be 
gained by it? The South could and would defy it all. They cannot 
be coerced, under the Constitution as it now stands, (and there is no pos- 
sibility, I conceive, of changing it), into the abolition of slavery. The 
only result of such a movement must be, if it reach the proposed object 
in view, to do it by revolution. And what then would become of both 
masters and slaves ? What but the destruction of a great many of them, 
amid the re-enactment of the scenes of St. Domingo. I dont believe 
that all the agitation in England, or in the whole world, can bring the 
people of the North to this, for the simple reason that they believe that 
the removal of this great evil must, and can be, effected in a better way 
— a way which will secure the best interests of both slaves and masters. 
At any rate, they will not relinquish this hope until they are infinitely 
better convinced that it is impossible to realize it than they are at 
present. 

There is no want of men in the United States who would exult at 
the very prospect of a war between the two countries. There are some 
who almost desire it, for the purpose of putting our manufactures on 
such a footing, as a war of a few years would do, that we should no 
longer be dependant on England in this sense. There are others who 
would be almost willing to see a war of several years with England, for 
the purpose of interrupting, till our native population has become more 
powerful, the vast immigration from Europe, which now brings so much 
ignorance, irreligion, and vice from the Old World. There is an 
abundance of inflammable materiel which may at any moment place the 
two countries in the most alarming position in relation to each other. 
Even whilst I write these pages, news has arrived which shows that all 
the wisdom and prudence of the two governments will be demanded to 
avoid difficulty in regard to the affairs of Cuba. God only knows what 
may grow out of this matter. 

I say these things in the deepest sadness ; but it is important that 
christians on both sides of the ocean should look at them. This is not a 
mere question of slavery in the United States ; it is something far beyond 
it, and concerns most intimately the peace of the two most powerful and 
influential Protestant nations in the world. This is a serious matter, 
and I could not avoid, with a good conscience, calling the attention of 
British christians to it. I can say with truth, as Nicias did of old, " I 
know that other things would be more pleasing, but I prefer truth to 
pleasure." 

I have been anxious to know the motives which influence a certain 
class of speakers in England, and particularly in London, to make allu- 
sions without ceasing to American slavery, whenever they have an 
opportunity, in their public addresses, let the occasion be what it may. 
For this purpose, I have made inquiries of those who are likely to know. 
One said that it was because they found that it was easy, owing to the 
great excitement which the war with slavery in the West Indies had 
caused a few years ago, and which has not even yet subsided, to appeal 
to the prejudice of the masses, who know nothing scarcely of the differ- 



58 

ence between the two cases, and so catch a modicum of applause, 
Another reason assigned was, that it helped amazingly to keep tip the 
reputation of an orator, both with the people and himself, for benevo- 
lence, and gave Mm the air and authority of a philanthropist. In the 
case of the Senator, already referred to, it might have some bearing on 
his desired re-election. And, finally, there is a class in England who 
are glad to have a chance to say something against the ministry, even 
if they should be so far distant as America. Of this class we have the 
exact counterpart in America, who are mad against the ministers of the 
gospel, because they will not submit to their views and measures, and 
cannot do so. On this account some of them have turned their backs 
upon Christianity, because, forsooth, Christianity cannot be bent to their 
notions, not only of what is duty, but what may be the best mode of per- 
forming duty. But such people had never turned then faces, or rather 
their hearts, to the Christianity of the Bible, or they would not turn 
their backs for such a reason, or for any reason to be found in the con- 
duct of any men. 

The celebrated Dr. Merle d'Aubigne never uttered a juster remark 
than that a man of one idea is in great danger of contracting a false 
conscience ; than which nothing is more pernicious. We see this illus- 
trated continually. Some men look at one evil to such a degree that 
they lose sight of every thing else, and especially of those circumstances 
which may in any degree mitigate it and ultimately overthrow it. I 
have seen men who by constantly contemplating the subject of Slavery 
and its evils, have reached such a state of mind, that it is of no use to 
say a word to them about the possibility of any good existing in the 
hearts of slave-holders, or indeed that any good can be done for them. 
Talk to them about preaching the gospel to slave-holders ! Why, there is 
no gospel to preach to Slave-holders, but the liberation of their Slaves — 
immediately — without regard to any circumstances in the world I Say 
to them that there are pious slave-holders, conscientious men, who 
desire to do their duty to then- slaves, — they do'nt believe a word of it ! 
Speak about the work of the Spirit in slave-holding States, among mas- 
ters and slaves, — they will not listen to you. In fact, I have often been 
fearful that these people may yet arrive at such a pitch of detestation of 
every thing that has any thing to do with this evil, that, they will charge 
the Almighty himself with being the friend of slavery, because He 
sends His rain upon slave-holding States, and causes His sun to shine 
upon them as upon other lands. 

That such persons can approve of what I have said hi this address, 
and in these remarks is not to be expected, nor does the fact at all 
distress rne. I have never said or written a word in my life in appro- 
bation of slavery, so far as I know. There is not a feeling of my heart 
that sympathizes with it, but I cannot, unless my understanding be 
changed, be made to approve of a great deal that is said and done by 
those who affect to be the only people who judge rightly on this subject. 
I cannot consent to that wholesale and indiscriminate abuse and con- 
demnation of all slave-holders, without regard to their circumstances, 
which they take delight in perpetrating. There has been too much of 
this for the good of either slave or master. 



59 

As to slavery in the United States, I know that it will come to an 
end gradually, slowly, but certainly, There are many causes within 
and without the slave-holding States, which are operating silently but 
surely to overthrow it. The political influence of those States has been 
relatively decreasing since the first, At the formation of the Constitu- 
tion (1787), slavery existed in twelve out of thirteen of the States ; in 
the course of years, changes occurred which brought the slave-holding 
and non-slave-holding States to an equilibrium in the Senate ; and this 
continued long after the former had lost equality in point of numbers 
in the House of Representatives. But now they have lost the Senate 
also. And though it is possible that one or two more slave-holding 
States may be made by dividing Texas, yet they will be far more than 
counter-balanced by the admission of the New States formed out of 
Oregon, Minnesota, Nebraska, Utah, and New Mexico, — for there is 
every degree of probability that the latter two will have no slavery in 
them. The sixteen free states and five territories have three-fifths of 
the entire population. And though the number of slaves has greatly 
increased, neither the entire population of the Southern States, nor their 
relative power and influence has kept pace with those of the Northern. 
The moral causes which must vastly contribute to the overthrow of this 
great evil are also becoming more and more powerful ! I think, the 
first of all duties resting upon our American christians is to increase and 
strengthen those causes. And the second is to look more after the in- 
tellectual elevation and moral culture of the free coloured people, in the 
North. Much has been done, but much more remains to be clone. 
They should be encouraged and assisted in all proper attempts to enter 
into all sorts of business in which other men are engaged. They have 
a hard chance in the competition which the influx of so many poor 
Irish, Germans, and other foreigners is creating. These latter are ac- 
customed to living in a far poorer maimer in the Old World, than our 
coloured people, and will underwork them wherever they can. They 
have far more prejudice and less feeling for the negro race than our 
Northern people, and our Northern people have far more than the 
Southern, — for the simple reason that the Southern people have grown 
up with them, have played with them in childhood, have been nursed 
by black or coloured nurses, and consequently have a sympathy for 
them which no other people in the world have. Instances of cruelty, 
plenty of them, alas, may be found; of these much is heard; but 
there is a large amount of kind treatment on the part of christian 
masters, of which little is known abroad. 

I know not what is the destiny of the African race in the United 
States, but I entertain the hope that in time every vestige of slavery 
will disappear, and that that coloured race will attain to a position of 
comfort and respectability as free citizens in all parts of the country. 
It will require much time, but it will be done, I firmly believe. It is 
probable that many will go to the West Indies, where there are many 
openings for them ; and many to Africa to carry civilization and Chris- 
tianity to the very heart of that great but unexplored continent. The 
influence which must bring about this consummation must be indigenous 
and not foreign, hi my opinion, — as I have already stated. 



60 

I cannot close these remarks, which have heen written in all christian 
frankness, and without one unkind feeling that I am conscious of towards 
any lnunan being in Britain or in Europe, but from a desire to discharge 
what I consider a solemn duty, without expressing my most grateful 
acknowledgments for the christian courtesy and kindness with which 
my statements were heard by the Alliance. They will bear me 
witness that I delivered them with an oppressed heart, and in no 
unldndness of manner. Never shall I cease to admire the christian 
spirit winch characterized the body that heard them, and through which, 
(not because they had given occasion for them, but because it was the 
very body that ought to hear them, inasmuch as it has at heart the re- 
moval of evils such as are here spoken of), I wished to make them 
known to British christians. It has been the greatest of earthly blessings 
to me to have been permitted to attend, as much as imperfect health 
would allow, the General Conference in 1846, and the meeting of the 
British Alliance — which also assumed a general character, — that has 
just come to a close. I never expect to see more interesting meetings 
this side of Heaven. The church on earth has few, if any, greater or 
better men than I have seen in these meetings. Some who were in 
the former were not at the latter — Bickersteth, Grhnshawe, Emeiy, 
Caldwell, and others, whom the Saviour has taken to himself; and 
others because health or duties at home did not permit them to be there. 
But a goodly number were at the latter who were at the former — 
clara et venerabilia nomina — long may they be spared to bless the 
World as well as the Church ! And although I deplore that what I must 
ever deem an unfortunate step* in regard to the subject about which I 
have said so much, will probably render it impossible for our American 
churches to co-operate extensively in the Alliance, — yet I rejoice that 
the movement is likely to do so much good in tins Old World. I think 
that the recent meeting has shown what an Alliance among those who 
hold the truth can do, when it confines itself to the sphere proper to 
such a movement, including, as it must if complete, christians of all parts, 
whose relations for the present, to evils hi the world of an economical 
or national character are so varied and difficult. It cannot be that such 
meetings will not make christians better acquainted with Christendom 
and the work to be done in order to restore a primitive Christianity 
throughout all its hnrits — which would be the greatest blessing which 
this world could receive, as it seems to me. 

Whilst I feel grateful for the kind expressions which I have received 
from many quarters, in regard to what I deemed it a duty — a very 
painful one to me — to say, I must add that I am sorry that my remarks 
have not been received with equal kindness in some quarters for winch 
I have ever had a high regard. I refer to the British Banner and the 

* It may not be improper for me to say that that great and good man, 
Br. Chalmers, expressed to mc, at the last interview I had with him — in 
February 1847, four months before he died— the same opinion. He said 
that he deemed it one of the most absurd and unfortunate things that he 
had ever heard of in his life ; for he considered it a question of so compli- 
cated and difficult a nature, and that required so much discrimination and 
care, that it ought ever to be left to the Churches to deal with. 



61 

Patriot I have not indeed read the " Strictures " which their respec- 
tive editors have made upon my speech, nor shall I. Having been told 
that they were written in an unkind spirit, and attributed to me motives 
which I expressly and sincerely reprobated, I resolved never to look 
into the papers which they had the goodness to send me; and for this 
reason: from my earliest years I have been familiar with the names 
and writings of two of the editors of these Journals, and have 
cherished the greatest respect for them. That respect I will not allow 
to be disturbed, if I can help it, during what remains of life to me — 
which I cannot now expect to be very long. 

But whatever may be the fate of our American Alliance, my prayer 
is and ever shall be, that God, in His infinite mercy, would give to 
christians of England and the United States a proper understanding of 
each other's position, difficulties, and trials, and a proper appreciation of 
each other's work and influence. The church in all its branches, in 
each country, has an immense work to perform. England sways a 
sceptre over one hundred and fifty-four millions of the human race ; 
the United States comprise now nearly twenty-five millions of souls, 
and will in fifty years, if prosperity continue, have one hundred millions. 
Between them, they now govern more than a sixth part of the human 
race, and nearly a fourth part of the habitable globe. Both are Pro- 
testant countries, and their population is essentially and naturally 
of the same origin ; for both are Anglo-Saxon, and partake in the 
main of the same characteristics — indomitable energy, perseverance, and 
capability of great achievement.* Both are blessed with the greatest 
of all boons, beyond any other race, — the Holy Scriptures. Both sustain 
the most intimate relations to each other, and ought to live in bonds of 
strictest amity. Possessing, as they do, a larger amount of political 
liberty, and constitutional governments more securely established than 
any other nations, they seem to be called not only to stand together for 
the spread of the Gospel, but for the maintenance of the rights of hu- 
manity. They ought, therefore, to cherish a spirit of sincere respect 



* Anglo-Norman, however, would better designate their character, for 
whatever of energy they may have, they owe it to their Norman rather 
than Saxon origin. 

No race certainly, possesses greater capacity for doing great things, or 
has done greater things ; and none has done more unworthy. So that it 
may be pronounced at once, the greatest and meanest of races. Whilst on 
the one hand, in arms, in commerce, in the useful arts, jurisprudence, in all 
that concerns freedom in political institutions, and in efforts to extend the 
gospel, it has done the greatest things ; on the other, it has subjugated, and 
in some cases annihilated, the other races over which it has gained control : 
Celtic, Hindoo, African, and Aboriginal in America and Australia. 

It is enough to make the blood of benevolent men boil to listen to the 
absurd and ignorant laudation of the Anglo-Saxon Race, and the cruel de- 
preciation of others, which are sometimes uttered. " They are worthy to 
govern others," said a gentleman in my hearing, a few weeks ago in Ireland ! 
1 could not avoid saying to friends near me : Yes, worthy to govern the poor 
Celts ! This is the very language which one may sometimes hear from our 
irreligious slave-holders : the Anglo-Saxon race are worthy to rule the 
Negroes ! Both the one and the other assertion are unworthy of humanity, 
to say nothing of Christianity. 

I 



62 

and kindness for each other, instead of indulging in mutual detraction, 
crimination, and recrimination. 

I feel confident that I may answer for the christians of my native 
land, that it is their desire to maintain the most fraternal and cordial 
relations with their brethren in England ; and they are willing to do 
their part towards it. Let them be met in a similar spirit, and all will 
be well. What they ask is, that they be treated with the respect which 
is due to their position, their character as christian men, and their efforts 
to propagate the Gospel in all lands where their help is needed;* they 
ask no condescension or patronage at the hands of their brethren either 
in England or any other land, — they do not believe that this would be 
worthy of them, and they feel quite sure that they can dispense with 
it. 

But let us turn to more pleasing themes. How delightful is the 
truth, that with all our imperfections, the blessed Saviour is pleased to 
permit us to labour for the extension of His kingdom, and deigns to 
crown our poor and imperfect attempts with His blessing I How 
cheering, too, is the fact, that the truth is looking up in almost all 
places in Christendom, and beyond it, where well-directed efforts are 
making to promote it. I esteem it one of the greatest of my privileges, 
that my long residence and many journeys in Europe have made me 
acquainted with so many dear children of God in all directions. There 
is scarcely a city of any importance in it, in which I do not know some 
who love the kingdom of the Saviour, and are labouring and praying 
for its advancement. And I can say with truth, that I find no greater 
happiness than in my attempts to present them, in prayer, before the 
throne of our heavenly Father, as they arise to my remembrance, in 
country after country, city after city, and group after group. 

* Not only are our churches taking a greater interest every year in the 
work of spreading the Gospel in heathen and Mohammedan lands, but they 
are desirous of aiding the good work in Papal lands, even in Europe. M uch 
as they have to do in their own great country, they are not willing to con- 
fine their efforts and their prayers to it. There has not been an appeal from 
the Old World, — there has not been a calamity or great trouble there, — 
which has not called forth their sympathy and their prayers. When famine 
stalked abroad in Ireland, collections were made in all parts of the country 
— even among slave-holders and slaves, — for the relief of that afflicted land. 
When the "Exodus" of the Free Church took place in Scotland, our 
churches took delight in aiding their Scottish brethren ; and I am sure that 
neither Dr. Cunningham, nor any of his friends who visited us, and whose 
visits are so pleasantly remembered, ever heard a word of reproach for their 
having, in former time?, had any thing to do with the alliance of the Church 
and the State — much as we deem that connexion to be a great evil. And 
when Dr. Dill and Mr. Simpson came to us for help for the work in Ireland, 
that help was not refused, although they came from a church which had once 
addressed to one of our religious bodies a letter on the subject of slavery of 
such a nature, that all further correspondence was peremptorily declined ; nor 
although that church still receives the " golden wedge and the Babylonish 
Garment" of the State, and openly tolerates in her bosom, as every State 
Establishment must of necessity do, men who are notoriously unworthy of 
christian fellowship. The hardest thing said to them at their departure 
from us was, that if they would return at a future day for help, and report 
th it their church had experienced the desired " emancipation," they should 
receive 100,000 dollars instead of 25,000 dollars. 



63 

In such moments it is sweet to exclaim from the fullness of the heart : 
"Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied from God the Father and the 
Lord Jesus Christ, through the effectual operation of the Holy Spirit, 
to all, in all lands, who are the followers of the Lamb that was slain 
for us." I love my country, and the many followers of Christ who are 
in it ; and I think too that I can appreciate the sentiment of the Roman 
Orator and say: "Where liberty is, there is my country;" yet after all, 
I desire to feel that where there is one sincere christian, however hum- 
ble, — whatever language he may speak, whatever complexion he may 
wear, — there, there is my country, in the highest and best sense. 

Blessed be God, those things which now so distressingly hinder the 
"communion of saints," will soon be passed away for ever, and we 
shall enter upon other scenes, and our hearts be vexed with them 
no more. There we shall dwell where He is, whose face we shall 
desire first of all to see, when we open our eyes in glory. And in 
whatever we may differ in regard to subordinate and perplexing ques- 
tions, even now we can all unite, in the language of one whose name is 
precious in all christian lands, and say ; 

" Come then, and, added to Thy many crowns, 
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth, 
Thou, who alone art worthy ! It was Thine 
By ancient covenant, ere Nature's birth ; 
Arid Thou has made it Thine by purchase since, 
And overpaid its value with Thy blood, 
Thy saints proclaim Thee King ; and in their hearts 
My title is engraven with a pen 
Dipped in the fountain of eternal love. 
Thy saints proclaim Thee King ; and thy delay 
Gives courage to their foes, who, could they see 
The dawn of Thy last advent, long- desired, 
Would creep into the bowels of the hills, 
And flee for safety to the falling rocks. 
The very Spirit of the world is tired 
Of its own taunting question, asked so long, 
'Where is the promise of your Lord's approach?' " 

Cowper's Task, Book vi. 






THE SUPPLEMENT, 



The "Report" and u Speech" which are found in the former part of 
this publication were written out before the author left London ; the 
" Remarks" were put on paper during the tour which he is now making 
on the Continent, in such moments as the fatigues of the journey and 
Ms official work allowed him to devote to them. Whilst the sheets 
which contain them were passing through the press, he has deemed it 
proper to add a few more " last words," even at the risk of repeating 
some things which he has already advanced. 

It is a great infelicity of human temper, that it is scarcely possible 
for us to do justice to the opinions and feelings of those from whom we 
differ on any subject whatever. The author of these pages can say 
with the most perfect sincerity, that if he knows his own heart, there 
never has been a pulsation of it which has not been in behalf of the 
down-trodden and oppressed of all lands and of every complexion. And 
he has never failed to manifest that sympathy, in such ways as commended 
themselves to his judgment and conscience, whenever duty seemed to him to 
demand it. This reiterated avowal he does not make, however, to con- 
ciliate the goodwill or the friendship of any man in the world. The 
opinions which he holds now, he has held these many years. He has 
seen nothing that has been calculated to change, but much to confirm 
them, in what has occurred in the meanwhile. And yet he has been 
held up in certain quarters in England within the last few weeks as a 
' pro-slavery man, 5 a friend of the oppressor, and an enemy of the op- 
pressed, without the least regard to candour or even truth ; and this 
abuse will be re-echoed by a certain party in his own country. And 
why? 1. Because he cannot agree with these gentlemen in their opinions 
of the measures best fitted to accomplish the overthrow of slavery. 
And on this subject he believes, and would assert it with becoming hu- 
mility, that he is quite as capable of judging as they are, let them live 
hi which hemisphere they may. And 2. Because he cannot join them, 
— whatever may be his abhorrence of slavery, and it is probable that it 
is quite as great as theirs, — in denouncing all slave-holders as " man- 
stealcrs," " bars," and " hypocritical christians," no matter whether they 
became involved in the evil of slave-holding by inheritance or choice, 
or what the difficulties which may for the present beset the path, the 
only path it maybe, of emancipation which presents itself! To be sure 
these gentlemen see no difficulties at all in the case, and declare that the 



65 

evil not only ought to be, but can be extirpated at onoe. Their principle 
is, — as impracticable in operation in such questions, as it is heathenish in 
origin ; jiatjustitia, ruat ccelwn,—- and they denounce all who will not 
agree with them. They cannot bear to hear it said that there is any thing 
good in the slave-holding States. They do not believe that God can or 
will pour out his Spirit there, and convert both masters and slaves, 
which is after all, the main hope for the peaceable and christian extir- 
pation of this evil. Well, the author of this pamphlet cannot, — because 
his reason and conscience will not permit it, — agree in denouncing all 
who profess to be christians in the Southern States, who may sustain 
the relation of masters to persons who bear the name of slaves. He 
cannot believe that General Washington, the late Dr. John H. Rice, the 
late Dr. Waddell, and thousands of other christian men in the Southern 
States, who were slave-holders, must be pronounced " man- stealers " 
and " hypocrites." They were better men than many who abuse them 
in this way — almost infinitely better men. Nor can he do dishonour to 
the grace and Spirit of God, by denying what he has had good opportu- 
nities of witnessing,— the happy influence of both in that portion of his 
native land. He may be denounced by these gentlemen as much as 
they please for holding these opinions ; he cannot help it. In truth, he 
cares little about the matter, for the approbation of men who are evi- 
dently too much under the influence of prejudice to be capable of 
forming a correct opinion on the subject, would be more than doubtful 
praise. He would deplore the saying of a word in behalf of slavery ; 
but he does not believe that what he has either spoken or written on 
this or any other occasion of his life, can be received in that light by 
any impartial mind. 

But the question of slavery in America, whatever may be its nature 
or its importance, is altogether aside from the object of the Speech in 
the Evangelical Alliance and these Remarks, although it was the occa- 
sion of them. The author availed himself of the opportunity, when 
giving an account of the American Branch, and of the causes of its 
comparative failure, to place faithfully before British christians, the 
dangers which must result from the evil feeling that has been for years 
steadily increasing in the two countries. He has done this with the 
deepest pensiveness, because he has felt the task to be both difficult and 
ungracious. He is deeply sensible that there are many among his 
countrymen who could have done it far better ; but he has felt that 
there are some reasons why he should do what he coidd, however humble 
his position and insignificant his influence, to warn the christian people of 
this realm of what he fully believes to be an universal and not distant peril. 
He shall esteem himself happy if his efforts should, in any measure, 
contribute to arrest it. That there are many among his valued christian 
friends in these Isles, who will properly appreciate his endeavours, and 
do what they can to render them successful, he cannot doubt, after the 
many expressions of approbation which he has received. He feels that 
he has attempted to do his duty. He is not conscious of having spoken 
or written a word in an unkind spirit. He has laboured hard these 
many years, to interest the churches of his native land in the work of 
resuscitating a pure and effective Christianity in Europe — especially in 



66 

the papal parts of it, — and not in vain. He has felt that that work 
was of the utmost moment, not only for those countries themselves, 
hut for his native land, and for the rest of the world. In this work he 
has had much to do with christians of every country in Europe, and has 
taken great pleasure in endeavouring to promote their hest interests, 
and those of the friends whom they have commended to him, in both 
the Old and the New World. He has hoped that this would constitute 
some claim, in hehalf of this humhle effort, to their respectful con- 
sideration. But the author has reason, he is sorry to say it, to fear 
that hy many his motives and language will he misconstrued and his re- 
monstrances disregarded. Regardless of the evil which they may do, 
they will prohahly continue, — under the pretext of sympathy with the 
slaves of America, hut in reality in the indulgence of national or per- 
sonal vanity, or of hereditary dislike of that country and its institutions, 
— to employ the language of invective and insult in reference to most 
of its people, whenever an occasion may occur. This will inevitahly 
provoke retaliation, — as indeed it is doing now. The result will he 
that the religious portion of the people of each country will hecome 
alienated from each other ; and the worldly, or non-religious, so much 
exasperated, as to he ready to take advantage of any untoward occur- 
rence to wake up the fierce passions of strife which will find their fall 
play only in deadly hostilities. That this will he the result at no distant 
day, the author greatly fears, and even firmly helieves. The had ele- 
ments of national hatred are now ahundant, and with us they are con- 
stantly increasing, from sources already indicated, in both countries, and 
it will not require much to bring matters to a dangerous issue. These 
elements are latent, but they are there. 

The London Times, in an able article on the British Colonial System, 
has recently exposed the bad management which has in so many in- 
stances produced disastrous results, and cites the loss of the American 
Colonies, (now the United States,) as an illustration of effects to be ap- 
prehended. The author of this publication, is of opinion that one 
cause, — and the most important of all, — of the loss of those Colonies to 
the British Crown is to be sought for in the unkind treatment which 
their inhabitants received from the newspaper press, from the sneering 
speeches in the Parliament, and the malicious and libellous volumes of 
insolent " tourists" of England, during the long colonial era. It was 
not alone the paltry tax on tea and a few other articles, coupled with a 
refusal of " representation," that brought about that Revolution. There 
was something behind all this. Nations have the sensibilities of indi- 
viduals, for they are but masses of individuals. And the late war be- 
tween the United States and England, (1812 — 15), was quite as much 
occasioned, perhaps far more, by the insulting language used by British 
officers of the army and navy, by senators and diplomatists, and by 
editors of newspapers and reviews, as all the other causes combined.* 



* The history of France and Great Britain illustrates and confirms the 
position taken in the text. The wars which have so often occurred between 
these countries arose more from the deadly hostility which had become so 
deeply seated in the heart of each, that it was common to call them *.* natural 



67 

These positions were fully sustained, more than thirty years ago, by a 
distinguished American author,* in a work, which deserves to be read 
even yet, for the lessons which it teaches as well as the vindication of 
the United States which it contains. 

We must believe that these detractors, so ignorant and reckless, of by- 
gone ages, begat children in their own likeness ; for the race is far from 
being extinct in the British realm, and especially in England, and most 
especially of all in and about London, whose smoke, (or something else), 
seems to have other qualities besides that of obscuring and benighting 
human vision. The author feels bound in candour, to say also, that a 
similar race exists in his own country, — quite as keen-eyed, sharp- 
tongued, and bent on doing mischief. A dozen secular and half a dozen 
so-called religious newspapers, on this side of the ocean can be fully 
matched by the same number on the other, in respect to the habilite, 
indifference to consequences, and even bad feeling, which they display in 
treating reciprocally of each other's countries and their institutions. 

Is not this too bad? Where will it end? God only knows. " That 
which has been," may be again. And who can look forward to such an 
issue in these days, when England and America ought to be the best of 
friends, and stand shoulder to shoulder, without grief and even horror. 
The omens are not propitious in the East; nor is the Western horizon 
entirely satisfactory. Will not good men pause and consider? — Will 
not editors, at least those of religious papers and magazines, will not 
public speakers, sacrifice their feelings of national and personal vanity, 
and of antipathy, if they have any, — and many we fear have without 
scarcely being aware of it, — and combine their efforts to maintain the 
peace of these nations? Both are powerful and proud. The United 
States are neither in the position nor the mood likely to dispose them 
to bear what they did in years passed away. This is not the language 
of menace, but a statement of a simple truth. They have no desire,— 
this can certainly be affirmed of them as a nation, and especially of the 
serious portion of it,— to have war with any country, least of all with 
England, and yet they are too conscious of their strength to allow 
themselves to be insulted or trifled with, when an important question 
of national interest comes up. They have been reproached, even by 
British editors, strange as it may seem, with possessing an inordinate 
aggressiveness ; but this charge is not well founded. Their late war 
with Mexico was much deplored by good men, and yet it was as justi- 
fiable as any that England or France has carried on for the last hundred 

enemies" of each, other, than from all other causes. Indeed this was the 
cause which lay behind all the others, and gave them their force. The 
writers of each nation ridiculed their neighbours across the channel, until 
the hatred became universal and dreadful. All sorts of names, some of them 
vulgar enough, and all of them more or less ridiculous, weie indulged in with 
much delight, and thus two great christian nations were made enemies to 
each other by a set of worthless fools that were a disgrace to humanity. 
And there are men in England and America who would play the same part 
in relation to those countries ! 

* Robert Walsh, Esq., well known at home and abroad by scholars, for 
his numerous and able writings. The work referred to is commonly known 
by the brief title of his " Appeal." 



68 

years. At all events, if they have aggressive dispositions, they certainly 
inherited them from a parent illustrious in that respect. 

One thing surprises the author of these Remarks beyond measure ; it 
is that so far as the religious people of England are concerned, he has 
learned that the most unkind feeling towards the United States is to be 
found among the Dissenting bodies. Indeed it would seem, if we may 
judge from the language of one of their organs, — the Ecclectic Review 
for the month of August of this year,— that these bodies, or some who 
affect to be their leaders, have come to the conclusion that it is their 
especial " mission," — to use a phrase which has great currency in these 
days, to condemn and oppose slavery in America; which is — their 
mode of doing it being the exponent, — a Euphemism for the more homely 
expression : — -to abuse America and evert/ thing that belongs to it! 
Another of their journals seems to exult with perfect delight, that the 
Evangelical Alliance has failed because of slavery in America ! That 
it has not become the great and glorious movement which it might have 
been, is owing to an unnecessary, and most useless meddling with that 
subject: but if the editor and a certain party who think with him in 
tins matter have rejoiced at the fact, it is to be feared that they have 
placed themselves in very bad company; for it is certain that some 
other bemgs, with a powerful chief at their head, have also rejoiced 
and in advance of them, at the same result, and done what they could 
to bring it about ! 

But how are they going to fulfil this mission? Why, by arraying 
the public sentiment of the world against America ! Well, they have 
made but little progress during the last fifteen years that they have been 
at it ; nor are they likely to do much. The most that they have ac- 
complished has been to create prejudice and bad feeling towards 
America and her institutions in Great Britain and Ireland. But as to 
the world outside the British Isles — for that there is such a world, 
though some within those limits, with a simplicity or something else, 
worthy of the Chinese, seem not to be aware of the fact, is certain,' — 
the " mission " of our friends has not accomplished much. The French, 
Germans, and other nations on the Continent have had too much good 
sense to entertain such preposterous views for a moment. This idea of 
isolating a nation and getting all others to point the finger of scorn at 
it, is about the most impracticable and absurd conception that ever en- 
tered into the head of any human being. Most nations have got 
enough to be ashamed of themselves. And experience teaches that it 
is light and love, and not hatred, that is effective to remove great moral 
evils, whether they be individual, social, or national. But if these 
gentlemen wish to effect their object by isolating the United States, 
let them persuade the Manchester and other British manufacturers to 
buy no more American cotton. This would do more than any thing 
else that could be attempted in that line to overthrow slavery in 
America. Will they be able to do this? Let them try, and they will 
find that self-interest and the love of money are equally powerful on 
both sides of the ocean, — too powerful, alas, for the interests of the 
poor slave. What then ? Why other influences than isolation must be 
employed, and those influences must be of a moral nature, and originate 



69 

chiefly witliin and not without the slave-holding States. But there are 
many great and good men in the hodies to which reference has heen 
made, who do not helieve a word of their "being called to the mission 
of putting down American Slavery, — a tiling for which they are not 
responsible, unless it be to deplore the sin of their fatliers in creating 
it, and to pray for its removal ! 

The author of these Remarks cannot bring them to a conclusion with- 
out addressing a few words with great plainness and frankness to Ids 
British brethren and Englishmen in general. He would say to them, in 
the language of christian kindness and of earnest faithfulness : You, dear 
brethren and friends, have a great work to do — in elevating, and edu- 
cating, and christianizing the masses, the now down-trodden and igno- 
rant masses, in your great cities; in your mining districts; in your 
manufacturing towns. The spiritual wants of your army and navy de- 
mand your attention; your vast colonial possessions,— -Canada, India, 
South Africa, Australia, need a great deal more of your care, as to their 
spiritual interests, than they seem to be receiving ; Ireland has scarcely 
begun to attract your notice, instead of being blessed throughout all her 
extent by your exertions. The papal nations on the Continent, some of 
tliem almost visible from your shores, are well nigh "unknown lands" 
to you, and yet God is opening them to efforts which you owe it to 
your history, to vour faith, and even to your relations to them, — for you 
have often sacrificed much to save them from political and military des- 
potism, — to make for them ; the Jewish worlcl, and the great heathen 
and Moliammedan worlds demand much at your hands, for many mil- 
lions of them are under the direct or indirect influence of your govern- 
ment. And finally, your government itself needs to be looked after ; 
a good many reforms need still to be made ; much progress has been 
made in bringing your domestic and foreign policy to the right line ; 
still there is much to be done ; its foreign influence lias been, on the 
whole, salutary, of late years, far beyond what it was in years not very 
long gone by; but it has leaned too much to the side of despotism; it 
ought to give the weight of its great influence more to the side of 
struggling liberty; it needs more of the spirit of that determined 
Englishman, Oliver Cromwell, and of that sturdy Dutchman, Wil- 
liam, Prince of Orange, — the two best monarchs and most sincere 
Protestants England has ever had, though they both came into the 
possession of the supreme power rather irregularly, according to the ideas 
of some men, and being as it were, " born out of due time," — to make 
it care as much as it should for persecuted christians wherever found, 
especially in the Old World. 

" Surely you have, then, a large field to cultivate, one large enough 
to require all your energies. If you see us unfaithful in dealing with 
an evil winch exists in some of our States — but for which the Supreme 
government is not, and cannot be, responsible — if you find us displaying 
sympathy only with the master, and not with those who serve — if you 
discover, that we have no desire to have this social evil safely, and 
even speedily, removed, then, by all means, remind us of our sad neg- 
lect — pray for our enlightenment — and kindly urge us to discharge the 
duty we neglect; but do not condemn us as a ' pro -slavery ' people, 

K 



70 

as \ hypocrites ' and ' liars ' because we cannot see with you ' eye to eye ' 
in regard to the hest modus operandi; we did not, twenty years ago, 
deal thus with you. And in regard to practical action, do not interfere ; 
for your interference will only retard the glorious consummation. If 
we cannot (with God's help) manage this great evil which we inherited 
from you — let it never be forgotten — without your help, we cannot do it 
at all. 

Non tali auxilio nee defensoribus istis 

Tenipus eget. 
But you can aid us with your prayers, that wisdom from on high 
may be imparted to us, that proper measures may be adopted for the 
removal of tins dreadful evil ; that grace may be given to christians, North 
and South, to enable them to see and do their duty in regard to it. 
You can help us by making our slave-holders see in your West India 
Colonies, the nappy effects of emancipation, — this has certainly not been 
the case to as great an extent as could be wished, — it has largely 
decided public sentiment with us against immediate emancipation. You 
can help us still farther, — but this does not concern the question of 
slavery, — by doing your duty better to the masses in Ireland and other 
portions of your own realm, so that the tens and even hundreds of 
thousands whom we are to receive from you, may come prepared to be 
a blessing and not a burthen and a curse to us. We feel much about 
this matter. You gave us slavery at the outset, you abuse us for the 
existence of an evil which we cannot get clear of in a day, nor in any 
thing short of many years ; and now you are, as it were, obtruding upon 
us masses of ignorant Roman Catholics, whom we must take off your 
hands, and do as well with them as we can. This is not kind — it is in 
feet very unkind. We are very sure that unless monarchy and an 
established church do better towards the masses — in the way of educa- 
ting them and giving them the knowledge of the gospel, our people will 
never be won back to those ancient institutions. On the contrary we 
shall have to jog along as well as we can with our republicanism and 
the voluntary principle ! May heaven take care of us ! We will try 
to do for these people in the New World what ought to have been done 
for them in the Old. 

" In truth we have a great work to do in North America, and with 
God's help we will do it. if He will but deign to aid us and bless us, 
even He who was the God of our fathers, and has hitherto brought us 
through many and great difficulties, all will go well. Our population is 
increasing at a fearful rate ; Europe sends us hundreds of thousands of 
her people annually to our eastern shores; Asia is beginning to send 
her children by thousands to our western ; Africa has long ago given us 
a great many of her sable children. And there remain nearly half a 
million of the tawny " children of the wood," the Aborigines. — What 
a vast work to enlighten, to elevate, to christianize all ! And what a 
fusion of races must take place on that continent. It would seem as if 
there the unity of the race was to here-established and demonstrated by 
fact. What sort of a race this amazing composite is going to be, time, 
which determines all things else, can alone decide. 



71 

" We have a great work to do at home ; but we will endeavour to 
give our aid to the work abroad also. We are willing to help you, as 
we are doing, in India, Canada, and Ireland. It is the wish of every 
good man in America, so far as we know, to see the relations of 
friendship and kindness maintained between the two great branches of 
the same Anglo-Saxon family. Our fathers combined their exertions 
with your ancestors to maintain the interests of the British empire and 
extend its glory. Until our Kevolution, we were a part of that empire ; ' 
and your Lockes, and Newtons, and Barrows, and Hookers, and Addi- 
sons, and Leightons, and Wattses, and Bunyans, and many other illus- 
trious men, are as dear to us as our Mathers, and Edwardses, and 
Elliots, and Brainerds, and Finlays, and Davies. Your Witherspoon 
became ours literally. And, since the separation, we have not ceased 
to love and venerate your great and good men, both the dead and the 
living. This feeling we would ever cherish. Whether we shall do so 
will greatly depend upon yourselves. If the language of abuse is to be 
continued, whether on account of slavery or any tiling else, so that no 
American, that deserves the name, can attend your public meetings 
without having his feelings outraged, then you may rest assured that 
goodwill must give place to disgust and hatred. They flattered your 
vanity and pride, who told you that tins course woidd help to overthrow 
slavery with us ; but they have deceived you. You may, by continuing 
to pursue it, grieve the good, but you will irritate the rest of the nation, 
who will return vituperation for your abuse. If you talk about excluding 
them, this class will tell you — ' We are quite ready to exclude you, and 
defy you, too, if it be necessary. We know you well, your good qua- 
lities and your bad, for they are both reproduced among ourselves. We 
have great respect for you, but we have some respect for ourselves : we 
respect you, but fear you not/ And so matters may go on, and pro- 
bably will, from bad to worse, until both nations, having become ripe 
for the Divine judgments, war may ensue ! And, at the end of five 
years, what will be your possessions in North America, and what our 
relations, as to commerce and manufactures, to you ? These are ques- 
tions which may soon demand very serious consideration from statesmen 
on both sides of the ocean. At present, the government of each country 
is in the hands of wise and good men ; but the election of a President 
and Congress with us, or the election of the popular branch of Parlia- 
ment with you, may change the face of things in a very short time." 

The author of these pages would do what he can to avert the evil 
day in which these two important nations will be seen engaged in deadly 
contest, to the grief of all good men, and to the joy of their enemies. 
He believes with Croesus of old, " that peace is better than war ; for in 
peace children bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their children." 
He also believes with a good Prussian Bishop (Teehon) of the last 
century, that the greatest of all the beatitudes is that which is pro- 
nounced upon the " peace-makers," and he desires to have a share in it. 
He has done what he could ; but if his efforts should prove to be in 
vain, — be it so ; the path of duty is still the same. 



72 

POSTSCRIPT. 

The Editor has felt much pleasure in complying with the earnest 
request ot his esteemed and honoured friend, by superintending the pub- 
lication of this important and valuable pamphlet. He feels it unneces- 
sary to bespeak for it the candid attention of British christians ; the high 
character of the author, and the importance of the topics he discusses 
will secure attention from all but the ignorant and prejudiced. To 
those who have violated the laws of truth and love by representing 
Dr. Baird as a - pro -slavery minister,' the Editor submits the following 
clear and unequivocal averment, ' There never has been a pulsation of my 
heart which has not been in behalf of the down-trodden and oppressed 
of all lands and of every complexion;' and, on the ground of the 
author's established character, he demands a retractation of the unjust 
and injurious aspersion. 

In announcing the recent meeting of the British Evangelical Alliance, 
Sir Culling Eardley officially published this invitation,- — ■** Christians of 
all nations are invited to this Assembly," — -and yet, "when a respect- 
able American minister presented himself, and asked for admission, as 
other foreigners had done, they were admitted, and he was repulsed I 
And when he pressed for an explanation, he was told, in effect, that 
'all nations,' in the hivitation did not include the United States! 
O tempora, mores ! 

Nor is this all. One of the Presidents of the very Assembly who 
denied admission to this anti-slavery minister — for such he was — had 
been what? A British Slave-holder, retaining slaves until the 
Majesty of England said, no Briton shall have slaves, and, then, (as 
some affirm, in a pitiful spirit of commercial reckoning,) selling them 
to the nation for so many pieces of silver! No one ever heard this 
good man say, while a slave-holder, that he was living in sin, and 
no one ever saw or heard a single sign of penitence. And yet he was, 
and is, an office-bearer hi a christian church ; and let it be added, a 
christian gentleman whom to know, is to love. 

British Christians! We must never lower the standard we have 
raised against slavery. We must denounce the mighty wrong, as an 
infringement of man's rights, and of God's prerogatives. And if any 
of our christian brethren in America be supine — and some of them, I 
believe are, — we must arouse them from then lethargy ; but every thing in 
the law of Christ, and many things in our own national antecedents, 
demand that we should act towards them in a spirit of candour, for- 
bearance, and love. 

America and Britain, one in race, in language, and in literature, 
must be one in the faith and fellowsliip of that gospel to which they 
owe their moral supremacy ; and which will make them, by abolishing 
more than American slavery — in a higher sense than they now are, — 
' great, glorious, and free ! 

Oct. 8th, 1851. Editoe 



JAMES .BLACK, PRINTER, WOOLWICH. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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